Mike Seitam from Kittanning carves an owl from a piece of wood at the “Fall for Animals” event last weekend.
Mike Seitam has always had an eye for the abstract.
“He can look at a piece of wood and see something that he can create with it,” his wife, Marcia, said in amazement.
In fact, Marcia said she was amazed when he first started using his chain saw to create wooden art figures about six years ago.
“It started with an argument when a neighbor’s tree came down,” Marcia recalled with a smile. “He said he could turn it into a bear, and I said he couldn’t. Now we have a 400-pound bear in our front yard!”
Mike went to the Governor’s School for Art. His eye for detail has made him successful as a machinist by trade.
“He has always been artistic,” Marcia said. “He just never used his talent until six years ago.”
You never quite know what object is going to catch Mike’s eye.
“He gets little figurines, a photo, or he sketches something out. He can look at a log and know what it is going to be. He can say, ‘Oh, I can make three pumpkins out of that.’ He just thinks that way.”
The Seitams don’t have a storefront.
“We just work out of our home,” she said.
Appearing at the Fall for the Animals event last weekend at the Fort Armstrong Horse Park at Crooked Creek, Mike was under a tent with a net around the perimeter to protect spectators as they watched him sculpt an owl from a piece of wood with a smaller chainsaw he uses for detail. He seemed at ease in his craft with a crowd watching him.
“He wears hearing plugs and the ear muffs are actually playing music. He listens to music while he carves. He wears chaps to protect his legs and gloves when he runs the bigger saw.”
The Seitams just began this year to venture out into the festival circuit, doing three separate events this season. Limited inventory included pumpkins, welcome signs, and small wooden evergreen trees, although Mike is willing to look at ideas for a new creation from a customer. He can be reached at 724-954-2870.
Marcia Seitam watches the booth while her husband, Mike, uses a chain saw to carve various items for sale.