When Euclid resident Sylvester “Sly” Kodrin decided to get an overgrown pin oak tree removed from his yard, he knew he didn’t want the tree removed and the stump ground in the way one traditionally would with a problem tree. He didn’t know exactly what he wanted at first, but he knew wanted to pay tribute to the tree that graced his beautifully landscaped backyard for all those years. So, like many of us do when we’re looking for inspiration, he turned to social media.

“I started looking at wood carvings on Instagram and Facebook,” said Sly. “I came across Carvings by Chris, I looked at some of his work and I found out he was actually local!” Wood artist Chris Pascoe operates Carvings by Chris from a rented barn-turned-studio in Perry, Ohio. After spending 35 years working as a stone mason, Pascoe turned his talents to another medium and began using a chainsaw to carve intricate characters into pieces of wood- many of them animals like the eagle he was hired to carve for Sly. “We talked, he put together the drawing, and as soon as I saw it, I knew that was it,” Sly explained.

The pin oak trunk in Sly’s backyard stands over 10 feet tall, and required that scaffolding be placed in order to give Chris the best angle for chainsaw carving. The head and body of the eagle took shape quickly, being fully recognizable in just a few days of work. “I’m still looking for his talons,” said Pascoe as he descended the scaffolding, chainsaw in hand, to get a better view of his completed work. Pascoe relies on hand-drawn plans to provide a blueprint for each project, but also adds artistic touches based on the individuality of the piece of wood.

Sly shares the home on East 230^th Street with his brother Stan Kodrin who summed his opinion of the project up into one powerful word- “majestic”. The brothers are active community members who recently showcased their landscaping skills on the Euclid Pond and Garden tour. Sly reports that his neighbors love the idea of having the unwanted tree carved into a piece of permanent art, and are excited to see the final product when the project is completed. “We can’t wait for everyone to see it,” said Sly, who teased they might be holding a contest to name the bird if they can’t come up with a suitable one.



Interested to see the backyard eagle for yourself? The Kodrin’s invite you to visit at 1744 East 230^th Street (off Chardon Road). The eagle should be finished by the time of this publication. Please visit the City of Euclid’s Facebook and Instagram pages for updates and in-progress photos of the piece.