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A Self-Taught Master

By Beacon Staff

Jim Jensen turns tree roots into buffalo and stones into bears. Any chunk of wood set before him is liable to end up as fine art, the meticulous work of a carving master.

And he really is a master. In late June, the Montana Arts Council unanimously selected him to join “Montana’s Circle of American Masters in Visual Folks and Traditional Arts,” adding to his already lengthy art resume. He has won numerous awards and belongs to the National Woodcarvers Association.

But Jensen remains stoic and humble as the accolades pile up. At his Kalispell house last week, he pointed to an elegant wood sculpture sitting in his basement. He said simply: “This is just part of a stump.”

The piece was crafted from a stump that used to be at the Conrad Mansion. Jensen carved the stump’s roots into three heads: a wolf, a bear and a buffalo. In the sculpture’s center is the face of an American Indian. It’s called Ni-Kso-Ko-Wa, a Blackfeet word for “My Relatives.”

Like with many of his pieces, Jensen used his trademark wood-burning technique to create the effect of hair on Ni-Kso-Ko-Wa. He has a machine that rapidly heats up to 2,000 degrees, directing the heat to an attached object that resembles a pen. With the pen, Jensen etches the hair-like markings on to his sculptures. His ample knowledge of anatomy and form further encourages a sense of realism.

Jackie Jensen is Jim’s wife, promoter, business manager and the interior designer of their house. As one would expect, there are quite a few of her husband’s original works carefully placed throughout the home. But they aren’t random pieces – to qualify for a spot in the house, a piece must have won an award, Jackie said.

She has plenty to choose from. Over the course of Jim’s decades-long career, he has built a reputation and awards collection to be envied by any artist who knows how hard it is create a name for oneself. Jensen has done just that – people in the woodcarving business can easily spot an original Jensen.

Prodded by his mother, Jensen began woodcarving at a young age while growing up in Kalispell and exploring Glacier National Park, which remains one of his foremost artistic inspirations. Then in seventh grade, his art teacher at Central School taught him the fundamental elements of anatomy and design. He took his newfound knowledge and ran with it.

“It’s all self-taught, more or less, other than one art teacher,” Jensen said.

Jensen’s favorite theme is wildlife, particularly bears. He also carves rabbits, goats and outdoors scenes, such as his charming sculpture titled “End of the Line.” In that piece, two bears are stealing a fish attached to the line of an angry fisherman. Jensen’s trademark work, which has undergone numerous variations, is “Bear on a Limb.”

He likes to keep it simple. His tools mostly consist of a grinder, a few chisels and knives, a band saw and his wood burner. Jensen said when he goes to carving shows, he generally has the smallest toolbox. He frequently gives educational demonstrations, particularly at Glacier National Park where tourists can watch the complete transformation of a block of wood into a finished carving.

“I started carving before they made all this fancy stuff,” Jensen said.

Sometimes Jensen sands his pieces down to a smooth finish and other times he leaves the knife marks for effect. When he’s not on the road, he works out of his basement shop.

“This is where life begins,” he said of the shop.

In addition to his sculptures, Jensen has also crafted an eight-by-five-foot cross for his church, walking sticks, small figurines, Christmas ornaments, whistles and more. He uses a variety of wood, including sugar pine, olive, walnut and basswood, among others. He also does soapstone carvings.

His work is displayed in the Montana House in Apgar and John L. Clarke Gallery in East Galcier. The list of his collectors includes golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. To contact Jensen, call (406) 756-1178.