Valley Springs, CA…Kenneth Arnold Chapman, 66 of Valley Springs, California passed away March 11, 2018 in San Andreas, CA after battling cancer, born August 14, 1951 in Kirkland, Washington. Ken was originally from Washington State graduating from Tolt High School in 1970. Forever the adventurer, Ken spent his life traveling the world seeking inspiration from Canada to Turkey, Bosnia, Germany to Greece where he picked olives to get enough money to continue on with his European travels.

He spent 20 years working as a logger, and enjoyed the thrills it granted him. Flying on the hook of a helicopter or falling old growth trees. The forest, mountains and wildlife brought him joy but later decided that he needed to express himself creatively thus becoming a renowned folk artist dabbling in various mediums, his sought after art was largely chainsaw carvings from salvaged logs to create wildlife carvings, religious icons, abstract designs, totem poles and uncountable others. He always said the tree gave him the inspiration for his creation and that he felt compelled to “turn the tools of destruction into tools of art” transforming stumps into pieces of art. His work was featured in many Pacific Northwest galleries including the Vox Populi Gallery and the Center on Contemporary Art and was commissioned for the tv show Northern Exposure and the movie Twin Peaks.

After a life of high adventure, Ken closed out his final years in the comfort and love of his family, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, and still trekking the trails of his beloved redwoods and sequoias, pointing to the California heavens. Ken is survived by his daughter, Nichole Buchmann; son in law, Matt Buchmann and their children Tanner, Noah and Kendal of Valley Springs, CA. A daughter, Crystal Chapman and her children Keslie and Liem of Elkford, British Columbia Canada. A step son, Jeremy Surber of Phoenix, AZ. His brothers Craig and Brian Chapman of
Carnation, WA. Ken is preceded in death by his mother Lucille Schwartz of Carnation, WA and his father Glenn Chapman of Everett, WA.

As Ken would say, Love is the answer.