Ernest Reed was born in Jackson, Ohio, and began carving at age eight. He had no formal art training but by 1968 was earning a living as a stone and wood carver, first selling walnut carvings as roadside tourist items and later working in limestone and sandstone. His nickname Popeye came from the bulging arms he developed through years of stone carving. His subjects ranged from biblical and mythological figures to Native American imagery, and his work is held by the American Folk Art Museum.
Stone carvings at various Ohio roadside locations