Shark attack teaches sculptor valuable art lesson

‘I accepted death that day. I thought this is it.’

CHAINSAW sculptor, Matty G has created thousands of wooden masterpieces, but strangely it was a severe shark attack that taught him a valuable lesson about his art.

Matthew George, known as Matty G, has been creating remarkable wooden sculptures for over ten years.

"I bought an electric chainsaw, but then I didn't use it for a year," he said.

"I don't know why I bought it, sometimes things just stick out and you have to buy them.

"And then I was home one day, I opened a book up and I carved out a turtle.

"I looked at it and I was so happy. It just made me so happy."

The Doonan artist has his pieces on show all across the Sunshine Coast, including the very patriotic life-size Ned Kelly at a private residence in Cooroy.

SUCH IS WOOD: Matty G and his patriotic piece, Ned Kelly.

The Ned Kelly piece took just five hours to complete.

"I roll up with the chainsaws and just get started," Mr George said.

"When I envision it, I just go for it."

But the chainsaw sculptor learnt a very valuable lesson about his art after a terrifying shark encounter.

"My shark attack has helped me to not spend too long on my pieces," Mr George said.

In the early 2000s, the inquisitive Mr George took his inflatable boat out in Moreton Bay to see, what he thought was, a school of fish.

However his inquisitiveness soon turned into deep shock when he realised it was actually a great white shark.

Mr George initially enjoyed being so close to such an amazing creature.

"It was unreal," he said.

"The colours, the scars and the massive tail.

"It was just like in the movies."

SUCH IS WOOD: Matty G and his patriotic piece, Ned Kelly.

But the king of the water soon let the curious artist know he had overstayed his welcome.

"I was there for not even five minutes, then he ripped the side out of my inflatable boat," Mr George said.

"I accepted death that day. I thought this is it."

"The boat exploded, water went everywhere."

"I felt every emotion in the world. The instincts that roll over you is unbelievable."

The lesson Mr George learnt that day was to know when it is time to leave.

It's a valuable lesson that has stood him in good stead with his artwork.

"I stayed with the shark too long," he said.

"It's no different to my art. You've got to know when enough is enough.

"You can go too far and wreck a carving."

"The lesson is leave when it is time to leave," he said.

"Admire it and then p*** off."

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