A retired Fort Thomas firefighter has carved a 23-foot tower of wildlife and pet dogs at a private Indian Hill residence, his largest chainsaw sculpture to date.
Chris Rust, who retired from a decades-long career as a firefighter and paramedic with the Fort Thomas Fire Department, needed 20 feet of scaffolding to complete the piece. The sculpture blends animals found on the property with the homeowner's dogs, Living Magazines reported on Oct. 9.
"The turkey was a last minute add on as there was a group of them in the yard on the last day of the carve," Rust told the magazine.
A flock of turkeys showed up during the final day, and Rust carved one into the design on the spot.
The Indian Hill tower is not Rust's first work in the village. He previously carved an owl for a different private residence there. That project hit a snag when he encountered a rotten section of the tree during the finishing stages, but Rust said the flaw changed the shape for the better.
Rust launched C R Carving in 2020. His pieces now span 13 states and four countries, according to a January 2026 Living Magazines profile. The October article names Canada, Brazil and Italy among the locations. He and his wife Stacey raised three sons in Fort Thomas.
Closer to Cincinnati, Rust carved a colorful fox sculpture named Monty for the Kennedy Heights Arts Center (KHAC) at 6546 Montgomery Road. A large oak tree in the center's front lawn had to be removed for safety reasons in fall 2025. The tree company left about 15 feet of the trunk, and Rust carved it over a week or two into a fox perched atop a stack of bubbles, with bench seating at the base.
Mallory Feltz, KHAC's director of exhibitions and public art, said she and Executive Director Ellen Muse found Rust by searching online for "chainsaw artist Cincinnati." Feltz said the collaboration felt natural and that Rust understood the center's mission.
Rust also donated a Charley Harper-inspired owl carving to 8 North Center for the Arts in Fort Thomas for a silent auction fundraiser. The piece sparked a bidding war at the close of the auction, according to a statement from the center.
In winter, Rust carves live at the Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt near the Lager House. His public work can also be seen at Lakeside Commons in Fort Thomas, where a 2022 "Mother Nature" carving features a bear, bobcat, snake, fox, squirrel, cardinal and raccoon.
Residents who want to see Rust's work up close can visit the Monty fox sculpture at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center or the Lakeside Commons carving at the corner of Alexandria Pike and Martha Layne Collins Boulevard in Fort Thomas.
Upcoming area events:
- Indian Hill trick-or-treat: Oct. 31. The village has posted official hours for the evening.
- Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt: Rust carves on-site during the winter market season near the Lager House downtown.
