The chainsaw is Griffon Ramsey's brush, wood logs are her canvas. With those two items, she does things that should be impossible, sculpting wood into forms inspired by fantasy and pop culture.
Ramsey has made a career out of wood sculpting, and recently took to Twitter for inspiration. Looking for something new to carve, she put the question to her fans.
@griffonramsey Hmm... A Groot bust would seem appropriate... *nudge nudge*
— Neta Shikoba (@imapython) August 6, 2014
Several replies mentioned the character Groot, from the top box office smash of 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy. It seemed like a perfect fit for what Ramsey does. Intrigued, she went to see the movie in the theater and immediately took to the lovable alien made of wood.
At her warehouse in Austin, she grabbed some red cedar logs, several different chainsaws from her collection (which she calls a "great tool for an impatient person"), and went to work. The result is remarkable, standing almost four feet tall and bearing intricate details that make the character instantly recognizable. You can watch her make it in this video.
Ramsey's one-of-a-kind wooden Groot statue is on sale on her website at the time of this writing. If you've got a spare $875 plus shipping, it can be yours. The artist treated it for indoor or outdoor display, so just imagine the possibilities. Groot could guard your garden or stand at your threshold like a bouncer. Be sure to check out the rest of her impressive work at that website.
