Pennfield woodpile sculptor creates biggest stack ever
The year 2020 has been anything but normal for New Brunswickers, but a Pennfield man is maintaining an annual fall tradition that always brings a smile to people's faces.
For the past four years Brian Golding has taken his winter wood and created large woodpile sculptures in his front yard.
He's made boats, fish and tigers, but he decided to go meta this year by constructing a massive chainsaw.
"I have to work with the idea that, you know, is compatible with the firewood because it can't be something that needs to be tremendously supported," said Golding.
"So I'd seen a picture of a chainsaw and I just said immediately, 'I know I can do that.'"
He named the woodpile sculpture Chain Reaction and Golding thinks it's probably the biggest and most complex project he has ever done.
At 32 feet long and nine feet high, it has a level of intricate detail his other sculptures lacked.
"There's a lot of round pieces that come with our firewood," said Golding.
"So I used just strictly round pieces all the way around to make the chain, and you can tell when you look at it that it's different than the rest."
Distraction in trying times
While no woodpile sculpture is easy to build, Golding always enjoys the challenge and the reactions it provokes. But this year was a little more difficult than usual.
"It was a really tough year for me. I went through a job change, that type of thing because of all the COVID stuff and I just didn't have the time to devote to it like I usually do."
Golding says the happiness he sees in people people driving by to look at the sculpture makes it all worthwhile.
"With the way things are today, if I can give somebody that one second of that little bit of happiness then that's all the satisfaction you could get from it," he said.
As the cold weather advances Chain Reaction will start to diminish. The logs in the sculpture are going to keep Golding warm this winter, but he hopes to keep it intact until at least Remembrance Day.
"I think a lot of people need a little light in their lives right now."
