AS the snow melts away at Highwoods Country Park, the intricate wood carving left as a gift by Rusty Russell can finally be enjoyed.

The finished sculpture made from a beech tree stump is Rusty’s second art piece there, following a decorative large owl.

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Done entirely with a chainsaw, tree surgeon Rusty, of Marnic Wood Carving, hopes it inspires people to consider how art and the natural world can complement one another.

He said: “The size of the wood and your imagination are the only restrictions.

“So far I’ve not come across anything I can’t do - fishes, birds, all sorts.

“I have a dog to do for someone whose pet died so they’ve given me photos of the dog and my carving needs to represent that animal.

“People will ask for memorial items like benches and with those I have to really use my imagination and capture the feeling of the person.

“Sometimes I’ll have to include an inscription in the carving as well.

“Then you get clients who just want something decorative for the garden.”

Wood carving is varied work and something Rusty, 54, has done for nearly ten years.

He fell into it but has since been commissioned by both Tendring and Colchester councils, who he works closely with especially in Highwoods, Colchester, as part of his main job with young offenders.

He said: “I was cutting up firewood for someone and they taught me how to carve a wooden mushroom.

“But once I began doing that, I wondered what else I could do.

“I went along to a carving show and made up my designs as I went along.

“The other things I’ve carved over the years have been self-taught, but now I’m trying to build a career out of it.

“About a year ago I went part-time with my main job so I could put more effort into Marnic Wood Carving.”

The tree surgeon-cum-artist took three days to create the masterpiece which is now in the children’s play area at the park.

Carved into the wood are wildlife, the Medieval Green Man, said to represent the living spirit of nature, and a huge woodpecker.

The dad-of-three wanted to create a sculpture trail so this may well be Rusty’s next project.