Matt Missey has spent the better part of three decades turning raw timber into works of art. Based in Berlin Heights, Ohio, Missey runs Ohio Wood Carving, a full-time chainsaw carving business that has taken him across the Midwest and earned him a loyal following of clients and admirers.

Missey is entirely self-taught, though he credits his early years of traveling to carving events across the country as essential to his development as an artist. "I met a lot of other people in the beginning," he says. "I did a lot of traveling to different states and other carving events to learn from other people. It took a while to learn." What started as a passion project 25 years ago evolved into a full-time career, one he has pursued with relentless dedication for the past two decades.

His portfolio is as varied as Ohio's landscape. Missey, along with his son Lorne, carves wildlife, people, reptiles, lighthouses, and school mascots — whatever a client can dream up, he can bring to life from a stump. One of the more nuanced aspects of his work is his deep familiarity with Ohio's many tree species. "There are so many different kinds of trees in Ohio and I've carved just about all of them," he says. "They all have their own character." That knowledge allows him to adapt his approach to each unique piece of wood before the first cut is ever made.

For Missey, the work extends well beyond what's visible on the job site. Behind every finished piece is hours of planning, sketching, and photo reference work done at home — a discipline that reflects his broader philosophy toward his craft.

"I'm never satisfied," he says. "I always want to do better — every single job."