Clyde Jones and His Critters

Clyde Jones and his longtime companion, 9 year old Speck

BYNUM, NC -- 6-11-02
When you turn onto Bynum Road off of 15-501 South, it doesn't take long to see that you're headed in the right direction. It becomes obvious right away that you're entering Clydeville. Signs of Clyde, mostly critters, are all around. Sometimes you can catch Clyde on his porch, or walking his longtime companion, a nine-year-old dog named Speck, or out in the yard of his mill house, just up the road from the Bynum Ballpark.

Clyde's critters

Then again, he might be up in Washington, DC, or at the coast leading an art workshop for youngsters. Last weekend at Orcaoke it's said thousands of folks showed up to see Clyde at the Okrafolk Festival. This is what Clyde loves the most, creating art with kids, seeing what sort of wild and extraordinary ideas they can come up with.

"There was one parent there," Clyde says shaking his head, "who told his boy he was doing it wrong. I said 'Leave that boy alone! There isn't any wrong way. Let him do what he wants to do.' These parents need to leave kids be to make whatever they want to make, however they want to make it. They know what they're doing."

For the past 20 years Jones has been sharing his special way of creating art with folks all over the world. He's in his element with a pile of trees at his feet and a chainsaw in his hand.

Clyde's critters

Clyde hasn't changed much in the 20 years we've known him. He's still happy with his art, his home, his life, his world. He still doesn't sell his pieces, but he often donates them to help raise money for different causes. He still loves it when folks stop by to say hey, and tell him how much they enjoy coming by to see his latest creations. Life's simple pleasures are still the best.

Clyde's critters

Clyde with the critters in his side yard