Artisan
Michael Bolton
Known For
Woodcarving
Michael Bolton isn’t sure exactly how many years he’s been carving Santas. He thinks it’s about 40 years, but to be sure he’d have to go to his mother’s house and count her collection. He’s made her one for Christmas every year.
He took an interest in carving after a trip to Gatlinburg. He saw a store on the main drag there with carvings and went home and started carving Wood Spirits. He said, “I would take a perfectly good piece of firewood and make something completely useless out of it.”
To develop his skills he bought a book and a knife and spent thousands of dollars on carving tools. One day he went to a woodcarving show to look around and buy more knives. At the show he met a woodcarver who told him he’d give him one lesson for free, but he needed to throw the book away.
Over the years he’s carved more Santas than he can count. Each one having its own individual personality. He said, “you don’t force it, you let the wood do what the wood wants to.” And because of that, Michael’s Santas are perfectly detailed, wonderful and whimsical, distinct creations that are truly something magnificent to behold.
He carves them up all year long and starts painting them around Thanksgiving to give as gifts to his family and to donate to charity. Recently he showed me the process– how they start out as blocks of wood and turn into their splendid selves.
I know you want one! And you absolutely have to see them in person!
Michael doesn’t sell his Santas, but you can see them in person and bid on one at the One Special Christmas auction this year.
