Bigfoot sightings in Quitman are becoming surprisingly common. Fortunately for curious visitors, these Sasquatches are content to stand still for photos.
The towering wooden sculptures are the work of chainsaw artist Jimmy Hobbs, who has already completed two Bigfoot carvings for the Wood County Arboretum behind Quitman City Park, with more creatures expected to emerge from East Texas logs in the months ahead.
Rather than simply removing aging and dead trees, the City of Quitman has partnered with Hobbs to transform them into public art. The project gives new life to trees that would otherwise be cut down while creating unique attractions for families visiting the park. Hobbs has also created three whimsical totem sculptures inside Quitman City Park, with more pieces planned as the city continues expanding its growing Bigfoot-themed attraction.
Standing beside a massive post oak log on a muggy June morning, Hobbs hardly looked like someone creating detailed works of art with an obnoxiously loud power tool. Calm and soft-spoken, he studied the log for a moment before explaining his next project.
A great horned owl will perch at the top. A woodpecker will peck at the side. Hidden inside a hollow in the tree, a Bigfoot will casually peek out, one elbow resting on the opening while a large foot hangs outside.
The design wasn’t sketched on paper beforehand.
“I just take off,” Hobbs said with a shrug.
That ability to visualize an entire sculpture before the first cut comes from years of experience — and a lifetime of artistic curiosity.
As a child growing up near Lufkin, Hobbs loved drawing wildlife in school.
“I liked drawing deer,” he said. “Being from East Texas, we liked to deer hunt.”
For years, however, art remained a hobby while he built a successful tree service business.
“I couldn’t keep up with the trees,” Hobbs said. “And keeping a couple good guys on a tree service was hard to do.”
As the physical demands of climbing trees increased with age, carving slowly became more than a side project. Fourteen years after picking up his chainsaw for artistic purposes, Hobbs now spends most of his time transforming logs into wildlife, eagles, owls, Bigfoots and even detailed human figures.
“I made a lot more money doing trees,” he admitted. “But I was getting pretty decent doing this.”
At 57, he laughs that his joints helped make the career decision for him.
Although chainsaw carving appears spontaneous, Hobbs works with several saws, beginning with larger models for rough shaping before switching to increasingly smaller saws that function almost like pencils for fine details.
Mistakes are simply part of the process.
When asked if he ever makes mistakes, Hobbs jokingly said, “If he’s got a scar, he’s just got a scar.”
His confidence comes from years of practice and learning from some of the country’s top chainsaw artists. Hobbs has attended carving classes taught by nationally recognized artists, always looking for new techniques while developing a style that’s uniquely his own.
Rather than relying on stencils or templates, Hobbs prefers freehand carving.
“Every one is different,” he said.
The wood itself often helps determine the final design.
When asked what his favorite tree is to carve, Hobbs answered without hesitation.
“Catalpa,” he said, explaining that the wood lasts a long time and resists cracking, though many trees develop hollow centers as they grow.
Post oak, like some of the trees being used in Quitman, also offers impressive durability.
“This will be around 20 to 25 years,” he said, noting that properly selected hardwoods can withstand decades outdoors.
His favorite subjects remain eagles, owls and Bigfoots, though he especially enjoys carving people because of the challenge of capturing the human form.
As Quitman’s collection grows, Hobbs expects to carve several more Bigfoot-themed pieces, including one wearing a barbecue apron and another featuring oversized Bigfoot footprints that visitors can stand beside for photos.
For Hobbs, each sculpture is another opportunity to tell a story with wood.
He’s not especially interested in the attention his work has been receiving lately through media and social media. Instead, he prefers focusing on the next tree or log waiting to become something unexpected.
Long after the chainsaws fall silent, those carvings will remain scattered throughout Quitman, quietly welcoming visitors for years to come — proof that sometimes the most enduring works of art begin with a tree that someone else thought was simply ready to be cut down.