Healing through art: Michael Thomas the woodcarver

LACONIA — Ever since Michael Thomas was a child, he's been carving wood. His work can be spotted all around the Lakes Region, usually depicting animals and natural scenes. The bulk of the carving is done with chainsaws, while smaller details are finished off with rotary tools and other implements.

“For me it's all over the map,” Thomas said, “but for any carver it's bears and eagles.”

Although the eagles and bears are popular, Thomas doesn't like to paint himself into just one lane.

“I like to do anything outside the box. I'm a visual guy. If you show me a picture of it, I can carve it. Three dimensional, wall hanger, or even a headboard for your bed. It doesn't make a difference,” Thomas said.

One of his specialties is carving life sized replicas of dogs.

“Six years ago, a customer had a dog pass away and she asked if I could do it, so it told her I'd give it a try,” Thomas said. “It just caught on. I've been doing dogs ever since.”

All he needs to capture the likeness of a pet is a photograph of the front, back and sides of the animal.

“My brain just kind of works that way,” Thomas said. “I can carve it out."

But with that mental gift, came other challenges for Thomas, especially during his childhood.

“My brain works differently than most,” Thomas said. “I'm all over the place. If I don't have something to do, I get in trouble. I learned that at a young age, thank God.”

Thomas grew up traveling the country with his family as part of a circus group.

“We went everywhere. We grew up in the circus,” Thomas said. “I didn't have a dad. I had uncles.”

Thomas found himself getting into trouble as a child before one of his uncles stepped in and introduced him to the world of wood carving.

“My uncle gave me a dremel when I was 9 years old and told me I better learn a craft and I listened to him,” recalled Thomas. “I picked up my first chainsaw at 15 and I'm now turning 50 this year. So I've been at this a long time. It's kept me out of a lot of trouble. It's my passion. It's what I do.”

Thomas continued the practice as a hobby for most of his life, stating he had a “regular job,” and tended to give his chainsaw carvings away as gifts. Then he suffered a life-changing accident.

“I broke my spine,” Thomas said. “Nobody would hire me. I was unemployable.”

Despite his injury, Thomas just couldn't stay still. “I wasn't OK with sitting at home on disability or state money or anything like that. I started my own company,” Thomas said.

It took 5 years of recovery before Thomas was able to start carving again. Once he was back on his feet, Thomas started Wicked New Hampshire Carving in Bristol before later relocating to Laconia.

“Now I own a business. Completely off disability,” Thomas said. “Life's good.”

Thomas believes that every human being has a gift, and that it's vitally important that people follow those gifts. “Some of us draw, some of us are mathematical wizards,” Thomas said. “I think if you stray away from that natural DNA you have running through you, is when you get in trouble.”