Everyone Has A Story: The Ice Man
This week, we follow the dart to Little Rock where we meet a man who
works in below freezing temperatures nearly every day and likes it. He
has the ice, the chainsaw, the chisels and the clothes.
"I have this insulated jacket, the insulated boots and the gloves; I never
get cold, never," says Clyde Aaron.
Clyde’s studio is an 8 x 10 freezer, where the temperature usually stays a
frigid 6 degrees.
He explains, "When I come in here, I’m reenergized. Once I start and get
into something, I truly love doing, I’m reenergized and once I get focused
that's it."
Along with being a certified executive chef, Clyde is also a certified ice
carver. His fascination for the frozen stuff began in high school. He was
working at a hotel when he saw his first ice carving.
"I just got hooked right then; I was like, I’m going to learn how to do that,
it goes along with the trade of a chef, you know you want to you want to
be able to do that because that's a little extra something that you have
that other chefs don't always pick up," says Clyde.
By 21, Clyde was teaching himself the trade. Through trial and error, he
figured it out. Now, he owns his own business, Creative Image Ice. He
started it about 10 years ago.
"Once I put a piece up and I go in and see them come in and they're like,
‘woo,’ they really enjoy that, that's the joy I get," says Clyde.
Each sculpture begins with a 300-pound block of ice. All he needs is a
picture, and in about an hour, the transformation takes place. Clyde’s
pieces can be found at special events and corporate meetings, but three-
quarters of his business is weddings.
He says, "Most of the time when I go if I go to a wedding or something like
that and they have a floral arrangement, once I put the ice up that
becomes the centerpiece; it's a fascinating piece of work."
Clyde's proudest pieces include eagles and swans.
"Those are graceful pieces and I know that in my mind and I’m like this
has got to be graceful," says Clyde.
Clyde isn't afraid of a challenge, "I haven't done the perfect piece yet,
every time I’m cutting a piece my goal is that perfect piece but I haven't
got there yet."
For now, Clyde’s concentrating on an upcoming wedding, working on
wine bottle holders.
As for the future, he's addicted to his art and hopes to one day pass on
his electric chainsaw.
Clyde says, "It's more of a hobby than it's a job cause it pays, but it’s
more of hobby right now. I don't know, maybe one day, I’d like to teach
my grandsons to do it and who knows."
Liz Massey, THV Anchor
works in below freezing temperatures nearly every day and likes it. He
has the ice, the chainsaw, the chisels and the clothes.
"I have this insulated jacket, the insulated boots and the gloves; I never
get cold, never," says Clyde Aaron.
Clyde’s studio is an 8 x 10 freezer, where the temperature usually stays a
frigid 6 degrees.
He explains, "When I come in here, I’m reenergized. Once I start and get
into something, I truly love doing, I’m reenergized and once I get focused
that's it."
Along with being a certified executive chef, Clyde is also a certified ice
carver. His fascination for the frozen stuff began in high school. He was
working at a hotel when he saw his first ice carving.
"I just got hooked right then; I was like, I’m going to learn how to do that,
it goes along with the trade of a chef, you know you want to you want to
be able to do that because that's a little extra something that you have
that other chefs don't always pick up," says Clyde.
By 21, Clyde was teaching himself the trade. Through trial and error, he
figured it out. Now, he owns his own business, Creative Image Ice. He
started it about 10 years ago.
"Once I put a piece up and I go in and see them come in and they're like,
‘woo,’ they really enjoy that, that's the joy I get," says Clyde.
Each sculpture begins with a 300-pound block of ice. All he needs is a
picture, and in about an hour, the transformation takes place. Clyde’s
pieces can be found at special events and corporate meetings, but three-
quarters of his business is weddings.
He says, "Most of the time when I go if I go to a wedding or something like
that and they have a floral arrangement, once I put the ice up that
becomes the centerpiece; it's a fascinating piece of work."
Clyde's proudest pieces include eagles and swans.
"Those are graceful pieces and I know that in my mind and I’m like this
has got to be graceful," says Clyde.
Clyde isn't afraid of a challenge, "I haven't done the perfect piece yet,
every time I’m cutting a piece my goal is that perfect piece but I haven't
got there yet."
For now, Clyde’s concentrating on an upcoming wedding, working on
wine bottle holders.
As for the future, he's addicted to his art and hopes to one day pass on
his electric chainsaw.
Clyde says, "It's more of a hobby than it's a job cause it pays, but it’s
more of hobby right now. I don't know, maybe one day, I’d like to teach
my grandsons to do it and who knows."
Liz Massey, THV Anchor
