SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Barrett’s Carvings
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LEWISVILLE – A local man with a flair for artistry uses bones, antlers, stone and wood to create art that is sold in galleries and other venues throughout the nation.
Aaron Barrett is the owner of Barrett’s Carvings. He works from a shop at his home in Lewisville, something he has been doing for about 11 years.
Barrett specializes in wildlife art. He uses raw materials like fossilized walrus bone to make bears, salmon and eagles.
“Every material has its own pros and cons. Some materials can gum up your bits more as you carve, which is a pain,” Barrett tells EastIdahoNews.com. “If I just did bears, I’d probably be able to sell them all. Everybody likes bears, especially if you bring in a fish.”
Barrett’s wife, Debbie, is the one who first told us about Aaron. She says her husband is humble about his artistic ability, and is more talented than he lets on.
“We went up to Alaska this past summer,” Debbie says. “He (Aaron) has quite a bit of work for sale in Ketchikan. The people who work there were so excited to meet him. He was a celebrity to them.”
Aaron says his business was born out of a love for drawing as a kid growing up in Alaska. In college, he went to work for a family friend who sculpted art with the materials he uses today.
“I loved it and it just took off from there,” says Barrett.
We asked Barrett if this particular niche was tough to get in to. He tells us the use of bone and antlers for his art has been helpful in being able to move more product.
“If I were to carve a lot of this stuff using just plain wood, I probably wouldn’t be carving for a living,” he says.
Barrett says he feels blessed to do what he loves on his own terms.
“At this point, I don’t think I could go to a job where I had to show up (at a certain time), work for somebody else, or sit in a cubicle,” Barrett tells us.
You can see more of Barrett’s work on his website.