About the Artist

Pat McVayPat’s history in the arts goes back 40 years to Paris, where he began his career by repairing and making furniture. Pat had a small shop, a few tools and lots of paint used to hide mistakes. There was a blue period, a red period and a white period and soon, people began asking him to create new furniture.

Then came work in porcelain tile, and after moving to the Olympic Peninsula, his attraction to the natural forms of the forest led him into wood carving.

Currently, most of his work is large-scale carvings from already-downed trees, using everything from a chain saw to fine chisels. His whimsical and even comical sense is often the basis of unique carvings of people and animals.

Many of Pat’s works are visible in public spaces up and down the West Coast.  He was a founding member of the Northwest Stone Sculptors Association and the Cascade Wood Sculptors Guild.  He shows his work at “Music for the Eyes,” a gallery in Langley, Washington.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

1971 – present  Self taught. Working in various mediums – wood, stone, clay, cast metal, concrete snow and ice. Recent work in welded steel.
1971 – 1973  Travels around Europe’s museums and galleries
1969 – 1971  Anthropology, English Literature at Spokane Falls C.C. and Western Washington State University, Bellingham.

WORK EXPERIENCE

1983-present Sculpting full time. Specializing in large wood sculpture with other works in stone, clay, cast metals, concrete, snow and ice.
1973-1983 Custom made hardwood furniture, carved signs, hand painted porcelain dinner sets and tiles, some 1973 Shake splitter in twisted woods of Olympic Rain Forest, Humptulips, WA.
1970 Logger, fisherman and cook, Annette Island, Alaska.

EXHIBITIONS

2022 – San Juan Island Sculpture Park “Hair on Fire!” sculpture & carved Whale Bench
2020 –
Price Sculpture Forest Coupeville, Wa. Two Art pieces installed
2017 – 2019 Lake Oswego, Oregon Downtown Park “Gallery Without Walls”
2017 – 2018 Auburn Arts Downtown “Otter Moon” sculpture near City Hall
2917 Snohomish Co. Plaza “Fishing Lessons” Sculpture on loan
2017 Freeland, Whidbey Island Sculpture Garden – two Sculptures on display
2017 – 2018 Point Ruston, Tacoma Waterfront: “Oh No, Not Again!” Whale sculpture
2016 – 2018 San Juan Island Sculpture Park, Roche Harbor, “Dragon Bench” & “Spaceship” sculpture
2016 – 2017 Auburn Downtown Art “River Goddess” sculpture
2016 – 2017 Des Moines downtown Art “Tails Slap” sculpture
2016 Snohomish County Plaza Outdoor Art “Otter Moon” sculpture
2015-2016 Auburn Downtown Sculpture Gallery “Salmon Romance” on loan
2015- 2016 Everett City Plaza “Sailor’s Moon” sculpture on loan
2015-2016 Art on Poverty Bay, Redondo Beach public pier, Des Moines, Wa. “Big Fish Chair”
2014-2015 Whale Visitor Center Langley, Whidbey Island “Tail Slap” whale sculpture
2014-2015 Federal Way Sculpture Park two sculptures on display
2011-2014 Westcott Bay Roche Harbor “Dogwood Bench”
2011-2013 Pioneer Park, Puyallup, carved floral screen with glass by Cheri O’Brien
April 2007 Westcott Bay Sculpture Park, Roche Harbor, WA “Snail Bench” cedar bench
2006-2007 Grande Ronde Winery, Spokane WA various sculptures
2006-2007 Puyallup Arts Downtown, Puyallup, WA “Sailor’s Moon,” wood sculpture
2004-2006 Westcott Bay Sculpture Park, Roche Harbor “Rest” cedar bench purchased.
2004-2005 Everett Arboretum “Slugger” Giant Baseball, ball and bat.
2003-2004 Downtown Sculpture Exhibit 8′ tall salmon sculpture “Spawning” Everett, WA
2003-2004 Woodinville Wilmont Park “Midnight Salmon” sculpture, purchased by Woodinville
2002 Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition, Bellevue. “Slugger 2002” purchased by Bell
2000 Bellevue Sculpture 2000, Bellevue. “Lifecycle” sculpture purchased by Bellevue
2000 Hermitage 2000, Santa Barbara Twenty-two sculptures featured in private botanical gardens
1994 Snohomish Co Center for the Arts, Legends of the Forest, NW top wood sculptors

PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS

2022 “Salmon Romance” wins peoples choice & added to the Olympia Wa public art collection2022 “Giant Acorn” added to the Oak Harbor public art collection
2022 Waverly Beach Park Fishing Dock Kirkland, Wa. Carved Benches depicting fishing stories
2018
Bellevue. Wa. Chism Beach Park: Salmon sculpture “The Salmon Return”
2018
Des Moines, Wa City Hall Whale sculpture “Tail Slap”
2016
Decorative Shoreline Land Trust carved cedar sign Whidbey Island
2012-15 Decorative botanical carvings for Meerkerk Gardens, Whidbey Island
2009 Hiking trail decorative welcome sign
2006 “Endangered Species,” giant cedar chair with carved book. Purchased by city of Puyallup
2005 “Slugger” 12’ bat with 3’ ball. South Whidbey Community Park
2005 “Midnight Salmon” sculpture, Wilmont Park, Woodenville, WA
2002 12’ long Bat “Slugger” Giant Baseball gear:Hidden Valley Sports Park, City of Bellevue
2002 12’ , “Slugger” Giant Bat and Ball Celebration Sports Park, Federal Way, WA
2001 8’ tall “Lifecycle” salmon sculpture, Chism Beach Park, Bellevue, WA
2001 8’ long Sea Otter Bench, Seattle Aquarium
2000 Decorative reading bench, Clinton Public Library, Clinton,WA
1999 Sculpted 2 story pillar for Heron Cove B&B, Orcas Island, WA for James Hubbell, Architect
1999 Fish and people eating at Crab Pot & Fisherman’s Restaurants Pier 57, Seattle & Bellevue
1998 Life size Baby Orca Whale Emerging across from Seattle Aquarium at Pike Place Hill Climb
1994-1995 Historic bench, Key West Aquarium, Key West, FLA
1994 Numerous Life Size Sports Figures for the Shark Club Bar & Grill,Vancouver BC
1992-1994 Numerous public wood sculptures Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey, CA:
1991 Breaching Orca, Seward Waterfront, Seward, Alaska
1998 Mukilteo, WA Numerous whimsical sculptures at various businesses

COMMISSIONS – Representative

2022 Several private works around Puget Sound
2008-15
Numerous wood sculptures (approx. 300) for Pier 57, Seattle near the Great Wheel
2018
Upcoming large sculpture for the city of Bellevue at Chism Beach park
2008-15 Numerous wood sculptures (approx. 300) for Pier 57, Seattle near the Great Wheel
2007 Carved cedar benches of marine life, Waverly Beach Park fishing dock, Kirkland, WA
2000-07 Numerous lifesize sculptures of people and fish for “Fisherman’s” Restaurant, Seattle, WA, San Clemente, CA and the “Crab Pot” Restaurant, Oceanside and Palms Springs, CA and Bellevue, WA
1999 Lifesize sculpture portraits of owners of “Jeri’s Nightclub,” Hollywood , CA
1999 4’ long bronze slug “Piggy Bank”, Seattle Fudge Co., Seattle Center House, Seattle, WA
1998 30 foot long “Outdoor Classroom” Salmon Sculpture, Whidbey Island, WA
1997 Giant hand, 23′ long plus toes and face, in concrete and steel. The Hermitage, Santa Barbara, CA
1996 Seattle Center House, “Michaelangelo’s” Restaurant, numerous sculptures
1995 Two 12 foot carved pillars, Evolution of the Electric Guitar, Hard Rock Cafe, Whistler, BC
1995 Vancouver Canuck hockey player & Vancouver Grizzly, basketball player for GM Place Vancouver BC
1995 Lifesize Giraffe Head, apex of “Giraffe Education Project” building, Langley, WA
1993 Numerous sculptures for Microsoft Corporation annual party, Pacific Science Center, Seattle, WA
1991 “Welcome to Whidbey Island” sign, Clinton, WA
1990 Friendship sculpture, Kazan, USSR
1989-94 Numerous sculptures depicting fishing and the Alaska gold rush, Pier 57, Seattle, WA

FILM

2020 Interviews for art projects in Price Sculpture Forest, Coupeville Wa.
2018
Interview feature on the “Creative Energy” series on Whidbey TV
2017
Interview for Auburn Downtown Public Arts program
2017
Symposium Talk: ‘History of Large Wood Sculpture (w/ Steve Backus) Ridgeway, Pa. Rendevous
2015
Interview “Wild Northwest” for Yeti cooler products
2015 Film “Everyone Loves Whales” shot in Alaska, featuring whale sculptures
2014 Yoplait commercial filmed on Seattle waterfront featuring sculpture on Pier 57
2001 Westport 2000, documentary of annual Westport, WA wood sculpture competition
2000 N.W. Back Roads segment of Westport WA Carving Competition
1998 Almost Live TV Show, Seattle waterfront sculptures featured in comedy scene
1989 The Three Fugitives, Touchstone/Disney Productions, numerous sculptures in “bank robbery” scene
1981 Evening Magazine segment on Sculpture Work

PUBLICATIONS

2020 “This is Whidbey” online interview & photos
2017
CERF “Arts & Craft People Stories” Short story – working at my very first show – in Paris
2014 Everett herald, South Whidbey Record & Whidbey Life magazine, featured articles
2014 Fox Chapel Press second edition of Jessie Groeschen’s wood sculpture book
2007 American Woodcarving by Wayne Barton, featuring 40 American wood sculptors
2006 Featured in book on Large Wood Sculpture by Jessie Groeschen, Fox Chapel Press
2000 Art of Chainsaw Carving by Hal Macintosh. Several pages of work featured
1997, 98, 99 Woodworker West Magazine, articles on art work
1988-1999 Chip Chats, national woodcarvers magazine, numerous articles
1988 Chainsaw Art by Hal Macintosh; several pages of early work featured
1995-1999 The Cutting Edge, chainsaw sculptors newsletter, Founder
1994 20th Century American Folk, Self Taught and Outsider Art, by Betty-Carol Sellen

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Snohomish County Center for the Arts, Everett, WA
National Wood Carvers Association
Sculpture Northwest
Northwest Stone Sculptors Association, founding member
Cascade Chainsaw Sculptors Guild, founding member
Whidbey Island Woodworkers Guild
Music for the Eyes Gallery, Langley, Wa
Island Art Gallery, Langley, Whidbey Island