By David Beers
Photo by Bruce Frisch

Paul-Robert Blackman is very excited about his recent move to Norfolk. Blackman grew up in Torrington with a family that is intimately involved with the arts and the trades. Playing music, acting in community theater and creating art were part of growing up. Also part of growing up was helping his dad on construction projects and projects in the home woodworking shop. In college, he studied music and outdoor education. In particular, he concentrated on hand percussion and ropes course instruction. 

After college, Blackman stayed local and worked as a carpenter for a few years, and then was a state legislative assistant before transitioning to tree climbing for tree service companies. He fell in love with the tree climbing rope work. Any unique pieces of character wood that were headed for the chipper he would bring home from work and make into artistic gifts for friends and family. Branch burls he found particularly fun to carve and turn. Blackman did not limit his pastime to tinkering with wood. He and his dad also enjoy metallurgy. They have created unique furniture, mobiles, wind chimes and jewelry out of a variety of discarded items. They both enjoy upcycling anything that catches their eye.

Over the years, Blackman found that working full-time as a tree service employee did not give him the time he craved to work in his shop. Upon obtaining his arborist license in 2015, Blackman started thinking about starting his own business so that he could pursue his art work more intensively. Two years later he left tree service employment and started Belle Mountain Arboriculture in Torrington.

Now Blackman spends half his time doing tree work and half in his workshop. He uses a network of friends in the tree service business to send work his way, often returning the favor. If his job needs a chipper and a bucket truck, he will bring in another tree service with that equipment. Or if another tree service needs a climber, they will bring Blackman to the job. This allows him to keep his overhead low. His equipment consists mostly of an old truck, a few chainsaws, ropes and pulley for directional felling, and his climbing equipment. The network also funnels unique pieces of wood toward him that would otherwise get tossed in the chipper.

Blackman sells his creations by word of mouth and online using social media. Currently he is selling bowls, utensils, furniture and some sculpture pieces—one of which is on display at the Norfolk Hub. He also does work on commission and can be contacted at prbtree@gmail.com. Blackman is very serious when he says, “My work is my meditation.”