Jimmy “Wildman” Schouman finds his canvases and subjects all around Port Aransas.
Known for turning palm tree stumps into Tiki/totem poles, Wildman was recently working on a project that had washed up on the beach three times.
During high tide last summer, the nearly 60-foot remains of a tree floated onto the beach. As a chain saw artist, Wildman couldn’t resist carving a mermaid in the trunk during a full moon in July. The wood had an earthy smell of mold and seawater when cut with a chain saw. The log soon washed away and Wildman didn’t expect to see it again.
But lo and behold, it returned. This time the artist carved “Keep It Beautiful” before it floated away again.
This month, high tide brought the tree back, and Wildman added a memorial to Corpus Christi professional bull rider Mike Rabalais. As he raced the setting sun, Wildman carved a fish into the flotsam.
Wildman’s a slim, muscular man with skin tanned a dark brown from days working outside in the coastal sun. Jovial and friendly, he has a wispy beard and three silver studs under his bottom lip.
He’d like his chain saw sculpture to be moved to a park and saved, but he’s okay if it floats back out into the Gulf. Until it is moved by the city or the next high tide in December, the log is on the beach at Sandcastle Drive.
Jimmy “Wildman” Schouman is a multitalented artist coming out of the construction industry who works in different media. After Hurricane Harvey wrecked the island community, he turned more than 30 dead palm tree stumps around Port Aransas into mythical Tiki characters. For a map to his artwork, go to wildmanscustomcreations.com.
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This article appears in October 28 • 2022.
