James Lukinich (Willamina) is a chainsaw carver. Originally from Oregon, Lukinich taught himself to carve with a chainsaw while he was working as a logger in the Alaska wilderness. He spent most of his career as an arborist in California and Colorado. Now back home in Oregon, he carves professionally full-time.
Bio
James Lukinich, chainsaw carver, was one of 8 children. He lived in Oregon until he was 14, and then he journeyed to Alaska on his own to find work in the logging camps. In the off-season, he worked on fishing boats and even got his captain’s license. He also worked as a trapper alongside his older brother for a time. Lukinich’s mother taught all of her children to carve by sitting them down on Saturday nights to carve soap. During his time in the Alaskan wilderness, where he spent many days in isolation up, Lukinich spent a lot of his time carving both by hand and with a logging saw. He carves everything from bears and pelicans to giraffes and dinosaurs. Many of the works he created and left in the woods still stand as memorials to his time in the Alaskan Wilderness. After logging in Alaska for about 10 years, Lukinich came home to Oregon to become an arborist. He then found his way to San Diego where he met his wife Marilyn. With her encouragement, he sold his more and more of his chainsaw carvings—first by word of mouth and then at art festivals. In 2009, Lukinich began entering competitions, and in 2017, he was among the top 10 at the national competition in Reedsport. Although many professional carvers use special saws and tools, Lukinich still prefers carving with his heavier logging saw and enjoys removing trees himself to take the wood for projects. Lukinich also stays busy doing custom stump-repurposing and carving for charity events.
