The Carver
Originally, outdoor photography was Aydelott's primary means of artistic expression--it fit well with the work of a conservationist roaming over the hills, hollows, and fields of Tennessee. With career advances that led to more and more office work, the time and opportunity for photography became more difficult to find. With the desire for artistic expression suppressed, there was a void. In 1996, he bought a couple of power carving tools just to have around the house for "book ends." Carving started to happen. While looking for subjects to carve, he naturally went back to his collection of photographs. He soon realized two things: Landscapes were easy in photographs but they were hard to render in wood; good photographs of people were hard to master, but people were well suited to be carved in wood. Wood from Tennessee--walnut and cherry in particular--had the kind of character that his characters needed. In addition to carving, Aydelott is involved in boosting the tourism industry in the area around Hickman County and Centerville, Tennessee, otherwise known as the hometown of Minnie Pearl.