Tim Jackson first started wood
carving in 2003 and enjoys sharing his skills at the Coshocton County Fair in
the art hall.
"We started with four
of us carving,” he said. “One guy was a woodcarver, and he got us started
right here in West Lafayette. We started calling ourselves the Coshocton County
Woodcarvers, and as we grew, we learned how to do it. Everyone improved, and so we
started at the fair. Now only a couple of us are at the fair, but there was
originally 15. Only three or four of us meet regularly every week."
The Coshocton County Woodcarvers went to
the Artistry in Wood Show in Dayton for 10 or 11
years, one of the largest of its kind in the nation, and Jackson has
several first-place ribbons he won there. He also
did a carving that ended up looking like Judge Evans.
"When he retired, I made
him one in a display that looked like his office,” Jackson said. “It even had
the calendar that he had in his office. His robe was hanging there with a
sign that read, ‘When you've seen it all, it’s time to hang it up.’”
Jackson has Santa Clauses of all sizes in his collection. The tallest one is
about 18 inches down to the smallest at 3/8ths of an inch.
"I have sleeping
Santas, Christmas ornament Santas. We have caricature carvings. We make
little, red pickup trucks and cars,” he said. “I like to do cowboys."
One
of his cowboys is named Purdy Quik. He is standing in front of a mirror, and the
refection in the mirror can draw his gun faster.
Jackson has several Best
of Show awards from the fair for his work. He has carved golfers, a Maytag
repairman, character heads, Indians and relief carvings from cottonwood bark.
"I've used tools all my
life, so carving came natural,” Jackson said. “I have won ribbons and six or
seven Best of Shows through the years."
He decided to make a machine for
the fair where the kids could make their own carving. The kids get a blank, can put it in a slot, turn the crank and have their own
carving.
