Matt Darge is an artist from Hockering who creates wooden sculptures with a chainsaw.
His latest assignment has seen him carve a pair of dragons into the side of a fallen tree trunk at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School, near Haverhill.
The school also bought an earlier dragon sculpture carved by Mr Drage, which had been on display outside Norski Noo's gallery and cafe in St George’s Yard, Dereham.
![Dereham Times: Matt Darge, chainsaw artist]( "Dereham Times: Matt Darge, chainsaw artist")
Matt Darge, chainsaw artist (Image: Supplied by Matt Darge)
Mr Darge said: “I had shown them pictures of the dragon in Dereham so they'd have an idea of what to expect when I finished my work.
“I was chatting to the school’s headmaster while I was halfway through carving the first dragon, and he was telling me about how the school had a love for wooden sculptures.
![Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there]( "Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there")
Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there (Image: Matt Darge)"They decided they'd like to add my statue to the collection.
"It's the perfect place for her to end up and she's a huge hit with the pupils, as are the other two dragons I've completed.”
The first dragon was commissioned by Andy Sullivan, the Dereham gallery's owner.
![Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there]( "Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there")
Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there (Image: Matt Darge)For his later works, Mr Darge carved dragons onto either side of the oak. Mr Darge sadi it looked as if the mythical beasts were emerging from hibernation, and he added a nest of dragon eggs on one side.
Gavin Sinnott, the school's headmaster, said: “The children absolutely love it.
"Matt wanted it to have a good home, and I think a school is the perfect place for a dragon, and now we are lucky enough to have one.
![Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there]( "Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there")
Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there (Image: Matt Darge)“We plan to give it a microphone so it can speak to the pupils."
The dragons join a range of other wooden statues around the school which include an owl and eagle.
![Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there]( "Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there")
Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there (Image: Matt Darge)
![Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there]( "Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there")
Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there (Image: Matt Darge)![Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there]( "Dereham Times: Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there")
Matt Darge, a chainsaw artist, has created a dragon takeover at Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk as his statue was sold to the school - and a new piece was commissioned there (Image: Matt Darge)
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