Heartwood Galleries is a place where opposites attract. With masterful skill, thick logs are sculpted into graceful shapes; life-sized angels, gazelles, eagles, and of course, Smoky Mountain bears. Stroll through their sawdust zoo and ask Sculptor Brandon Messex about his art. He'll happily take off his headphones and put down his Husqvarna chainsaw.

"Oh yeah, ask questions, we love an audience! I really like to answer questions and sometimes people bring thier own sketches to show me for custom orders. Anything you can dream up, I can carve it out of wood," he says.

He certainly can carve dreams out of wood. The proof is found across the country - from Lake Tahoe to the Florida Keys and here in the Smokies. He and his talented team of carvers have criss-crossed the US to install their sculptures. His "house bears" look like they're still in the forest, climbing round timbers or lazily hanging around logs.

His inspiration comes from the wood itself, the wishes of the client, and his own imagination. "Sometimes, an idea will just come to me late at night, when I put my head on the pillow."

His favorite subject might suprise you. "My angels are my favorite because I like how their wings are so airy and light, even though they're carved from wood. They're hard to keep in stock," he says. Messex is obviously enjoying his "second career". Previously, he was a Marine with duty tours that took him around the world for 10 years. After his service, he saw a chainsaw artist working in North Carolina. He was hooked. "The first time I saw this guy carving, I said to myself, 'I've got to give that a shot."

Thats an understatement. He spent the next eight years perfecting his craft, becoming a master artis with a chainsaw, bringing new life to trees.