Barry Raymer, a local firefighter with the Owensboro Fire Department, has turned his interest in chainsaws into creating artwork that he sells locally under the business name Glowing Jacks Carvings.
The Raymer family is known for growing and selling pumpkins in the fall, and the name they came up with 5 years ago for the pumpkin patch was Glowing Jacks.
Then 2.5 years ago, after seeing a photo of a chainsaw carving that he liked, Raymer thought he could try it and has “been loving it ever since.” He started the business and said that it would have felt “wrong” to not keep with the family patch’s name of Glowing Jacks.
“Chainsaw carving really covers all the bases with me,” Raymer said. “I get a chance to create something out of my own mind that is truly my work that cannot be duplicated.”
Raymer began showcasing his work on social media, and soon clients were coming to him with custom work requests after learning about his skills from others. This year, Raymer decided to sell his pieces at the Owensboro Regional Farmer’s Market.
“I have really enjoyed being out interacting with locals and getting a chance to show off my work,” he said. “I do get a lot of requests and most of them I am able to make. When I make custom pieces, I always let people know that I do have a style and I can get close to what they want but sometimes the wood has other plans.”
Recently, Raymer was asked to create a tribute piece for the Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum from a log taken from Bill Monroe’s homeplace. The project took him 36 hours.
“The whole process of getting to know the person and listening to [his] music was just really cool,” he said.
Raymer said that he enjoys the music in his headphones and the “screaming” chainsaw that allows him to escape simultaneously.
“I just find it to be very therapeutic and relaxing and I just zone out from all the stress and craziness from everyday life,” he said.
Raymer said nature pieces are what he creates most often such as bears, owls, and trees, but his favorite pieces are the tree men/wood spirits.
“You just never know the character that may come out,” he said.
Raymer said his goals are to keep learning and perfecting his creativity and designs.
“I really hope in the near future I can keep building something that I only get to do now as a side passion and an income assist, to turn it into a full-time gig that not only allows me to provide for my family but enables me to do something I really love,” he said.
More information can be found on Glowing Jacks Carvings Facebook Page.
