萨维奇对雕刻的热爱是从他的父亲阿莫斯和祖父托马斯莫里斯那里传下来的. His father whittled songbirds and made beautiful furniture, and Morris was a skilled craftsman at the quartzite quarries east of Sioux Falls. 这是萨维奇1970年在他的工作室外拍摄的照片，当时他的艺术生涯即将开始.
Although Savage had no formal artistic training, he understood wood, having worked as a finishing carpenter for 20 years. During those years, 他的艺术兴趣激发了他创作更多的装饰作品，如绘画和壁炉架, one of which is depicted here.
Savage created his first carved sculpture in 1969. "Man Using Antique Tool," at left, is made of stained pine.
In December of 1972, Savage became a full-time woodcarver. 他早期的作品是用他从南达科他州农场获得的红雪松栅栏柱制成的. 他主要使用南达科他州的木材，他的许多作品都是用红雪松或胡桃木制成的. The image at right shows Savage skillfully carving a cowboy from a fence post.
A popular theme in Savage's work is the caricature of the cowboy. 他们的表情是萨维奇工作时对着镜子所做表情的复制品.
Another popular theme of Savage's work is Native American heritage and culture. Completed in 1976, 2,200块天然颜色的木头拼在一起，创造了这个苏族勇士白牛的雕塑. The beaded headband alone contains 1,920 small pieces of hand-placed wood. White Bull won the gold medal for sculpture at an outdoor art show in Prescott, Arizona, in 1976, against the work of 33 other bronze artists. 白牛是坐牛的侄子，他参加了1876年的小大角战役.
Oglala Chief American Horse led his people in defiance of the U.S. 1876年，他在南达科他州布莱克山的斯利姆巴特战役中阵亡. Carved a century later in 1976, Savage's "American Horse" 由500多块16种不同类型的天然彩色木材组成. 1977年，在科罗拉多州利特尔顿举行的西部遗产艺术博览会上，它获得了雕塑第三名.
