Brandon Kroon, Class of 2011

Turning timber into timeless art

We recently caught up with Brandon Kroon who is a professional chainsaw carver. What’s that? Read on…
If you want to share what you’ve been up to since leaving MECS, please reach out to us at reconnect@mecs.vic.edu.au

How did you first get started with chainsaw carving and was there a moment you knew this would become more than a hobby?

I can remember back to when I must have been around 8 years old and was captivated by watching the process of chainsaw carving at a country show. Although it wasn’t until 10+ years later that I would give it a try myself, the seed was planted. At around 20 years old, I came to a point where I was itching to pursue something creative, and very randomly (I say randomly for me, but is anything random in our walk of faith?), I decided to pick up the saw one weekend, rip into some firewood rounds and see what came of it. No plan, no skill, no idea. Although my first works may not have been a perfect execution, there was growing passion in me to continue. Every weekend the firewood supply grew smaller, and my interesting art collection grew.

The momentum and passion continued to grow and looking back, I’m always grateful for all the people that got around me with encouragement to pursue it, not only by their words, but by the small commissions and orders I received. I then made it a mission to attend as many carving demonstrations as possible, to meet and interact with some of the finest carvers in Australia. A handful of the se artists (particularly Rob Bast and Ed Freeman) generously shared their advice and knowledge giving me the opportunity to carve and learn alongside them within the first year of my carving journey. With the support I had around me, and the joy of carving in my heart, I felt I could jump into what would become something much more than a hobby.