Fort Smith (Jan 24/05) - Mike Beaver believes it's never too late to discover a new talent.

About five years ago Beaver began to carve, something he had never done before in his life.

Fort Smith carver Mike Beaver holds one of his new works, a beaver cutting down a tree. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Now 52, he says he always knew he had a little bit of drawing talent because he used to paint signs.

"But I never knew I had any talent for carving or anything like that," he recalls.

Beaver, a hunter, used to sell moose antlers to another local carver. Then one day in 1999, he decided to take one of the antlers home and see what he could create with it himself.

"I saw a picture in it right away," he says. "I saw an eagle in it and that's what I carved out."

Out of the blue

Beaver says a person's artistic ability can appear at any time.

"I encourage other people to try this because they might have hidden talents they don't know about," he adds.

Along with moose antlers, Beaver creates carvings from soapstone, wood and buffalo skulls.

He has some big goals for his next carvings.

"I want to make three drummers standing and six people playing hand games," he says, noting the work would be made of soapstone. He estimates it would be 24 inches square.

"It's going to take a while, but that's my goal," he says.

Beaver also plans to carve a woman working on a moosehide and a man making snowshoes.

In the past five years he says he has created more than 100 carvings, mostly of animals.

Now that he is getting more skilled, he says he is ready to carve more people.

Currently, he makes his living as a woodcutter and by doing odd jobs around the community.

Beaver says carving is still a hobby for him, but he is trying to make it a full-time career.