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Central Alberta welder turning railroad spikes into art

Aaron Knight says he “fell into” the new passion six months ago
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Aaron Knight uses his skills as a welder to turn railroad spikes into art pieces. Photo Submitted.

After years of working as a welder, Aaron Knight recently added a new title to his resume.

About six months ago, Knight, who lives near Leslieville, west of Sylvan Lake, started creating metal art out of railroad spikes.

“I decided to build just for something fun to do, then people really started liking them, so I started building more and more,” said Knight.

His first piece was a railroad spike character called Thinking Guy.

From characters displaying a variety of emotions, to iconic NHL moments such as Bobby Orr flying through the air, the ideas and inspiration have flowed.

Everything Knight creates is made out of railroad spikes, including the hardware in the furniture pieces he is working on.

“It’s just something I learned to work with, and that’s what I keep on working with,” explained Knight.”

Currently, he is working on a piece portraying NHL players holding up the Stanley Cup.

People are invited to submit requests, as his next venture is to bring people’s personal photos to life.

“I’ve taken a picture of my son playing hockey, and then I just replicated that,” explained Knight.

Knight’s artworks have found themselves in shops and galleries. He will also be taking his art to be featured in a major market in Calgary in the fall.

“This is one of the last things I thought I’d be doing in my life,” said Knight with a laugh. “I just kind of fell into it.”

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