Jackie Hadnot

Wooden Ironhorses

As an artist, I enjoy creating these wood relief carvings as well as my other forms of artistic expression. This particular series,Wooden Ironhorse is one of my favorites. It captures my feelings about the by-gone days of the great trains. This series is my tribute to those glory days.

I have been working on this art since my childhood. My earliest memories related to my art are that of walking along the train tracks in Sand Canyon, in the Canyon Country area of California. I was awed by the majesty of these mighty iron giants and their thunderous sounds echoed in my dreams at night. I saw the images of trains rolling down the tracks and at that moment, I wanted to carve one on wood.

I remember working on my very first piece, a little train carved out of pine. I went down to a local frame shop in Canyon Country, where I had it framed and displayed. I was so surprised when the carving sold in just 2 weeks. I was just 14 years old at the time and was hooked. The life of the artist appealed to me more than ever and I havent looked back.

The majority of my work deals with the expression of the detail on the train. The Ironhorse has to have an antique look, showing off all the minute structure of the piece. My earlier pieces dealt with the whole train, but my current group of carvings is absolutely detail-oriented. I see the carving as a complete whole, even before I start putting a chisel to wood.

My biggest wish for my art is that it be available for everyone to enjoy. It thrills me to see the expression on peoples faces when they look at my artwork. The compliments I get on my craftsmanship means the world to me. One of the hardest things for me to do is to part with each one of my carvings. I hope those who invest in these carvings are people who appreciate the Wooden Ironhorses as much as I do and will share this love with other people. Knowing that would make me happy.