Art show brings reclusive wood sculptor’s work out of the shadows

An upcoming art show at the Independent Community Club’s historic building south of Philomath will give the public a rare chance to view and purchase the wood sculptures of Charles “Woody” Woodside, a reclusive artist who for years kept his extensive collection in a barn on Peterson Road.

The unique pieces of art will be featured in the “Spirit of the Trees” exhibit on Nov. 15-16 and Nov. 19-23 at the old schoolhouse, located on the corner of Fern Road and Airport Avenue.

“It was magical,” said Anita Grunder, who bought Woodside’s entire collection, minus a few pieces, and recalled her first glimpse inside his workshop about 10 years ago. “It was quite stunning.”

The encounter happened by chance. Grunder and her husband had taken their goats for a walk to Hiatt Farms when they met Woodside.

“Woody was there and we chatted with him and he says, ‘Well, on your way back, why don’t you walk your goats past my place and I’ll show you my art,'” Grunder said.

Grunder would stop by occasionally over the years, sometimes bringing others to share in the discovery. Woodside was always welcoming, though he never wanted to exhibit his work publicly.

Woodside left Oregon and returned to his native Kentucky, where he died in April at age 86, Grunder purchased the collection from the Robinsons, who owned the barn Woodside had been renting. The collection numbers at least 150 pieces, including some unfinished works.

“It is amazing what was lurking in Woody’s barn,” Grunder said.

Philosophy behind the art

Woodside’s creative approach was deeply rooted in a reverence for the wood itself.

“The wood spirits — hamadryads — that are trapped inside are released through his work,” Grunder said. “He does what the wood tells him to do.”

The approach represents a philosophy of discovery rather than imposition — the artist reveals what’s already inherent in the wood rather than forcing his own vision onto it.

A carver friend of Woodside’s provided Grunder with insight into his work and process. Woodside would begin each piece with the intention of releasing the hamadryads — tree spirits from Greek mythology — trapped within the wood.

“This accounts for why a lot of his work is very lacy, with lots of air in it — it has to do with releasing the hamadryads,” she said.

Grunder also learned “that he’s all about fire. He wants things coming to a point and thinking about other realms of where that energy goes, so that’s easily letting the spirits out. That’s what he’s all about.”

Grunder has classified the pieces into three main categories based on their shapes — fire or flame, bulbous and botanical. Some pieces blend multiple styles.

Woodside’s golden touch

One distinctive feature of Woodside’s work is that the majority of pieces are painted gold — a choice that initially puzzled many, including Grunder.

“I asked him about that because most people don’t like it and would rather it was wood,” Grunder said, adding that she felt the same way at first. “He said he started painting them gold because he wanted people to focus on the shape and not on the wood. Now that I’ve had a few pieces around, I see how the light plays on the gold, making a reflective surface and a shadowed surface. It does really emphasize the shape. So it’s kind of growing on me.”

The sculptures are entirely handcrafted, with no machines used in their creation.

“He actually works the inside and it’s all handwork,” Grunder said, explaining that he would begin with a solid piece of wood and hollow it out. She believes Woodside would work for months on a single sculpture.

Walking through the ICC’s schoolhouse where the show will take place, Grunder pointed out pieces she’s named: the Ear, the Femur, the Kelp Forest and the Pregnant Buddha among them.

One personal favorite currently resides in her home — a piece that appears to blend flame and botanical elements.

“I call it the Funeral,” she said. “It looks kind of sad with the dusty, gray wood.”

Raising funds for ICC projects

Grunder’s connection to Woodside predates their goat-walk encounter. Years earlier, when she served on the Willamette Grange’s board, Woodside had approached the organization with a request to store his sculptures in the historic building while serving as its caretaker.

The board considered the proposal but declined based on liability concerns with a collection that could be worth a great deal of money, plus Woodside was unfamiliar to board members at the time, Grunder said.

Now, Grunder is working to make Woodside’s art accessible to the broader community while raising funds for the Independent Community Club.

“I think that beautiful art should be accessible to the ordinary person,” she said. “I’m really happy to keep a select representative body of work for archiving or for museums or whatever but I also don’t see why regular people can’t have beautiful things.”

She is still contemplating prices for the sculptures, working to keep them affordable for all interested buyers.

In addition to his artistic pursuits, Woodside worked as a chiropractor and was known as “a mentor in health and spiritual development to many in his community,” according to an individual who commented on his online death notice.

The “Spirit of the Trees” show will feature a grand opening with refreshments on Nov. 15. The show runs Nov. 15-16 and Nov. 22-23 from 1-5 p.m., and Nov. 19-21 from 2-4 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Independent Community Club.

For those interested but unable to attend the show, Grunder can be contacted via email at grunderdilles@gmail.com or by phone at 541-609-8601.