IMELDA GEORGE (1964 - )

Imelda George graduated from college in 1986 at the age of 22. She worked seasonally at various jobs and started carving in the early 90s. Imelda would glue pieces of pine or cedar together to form a block for carving. The finished carvings were painted with acrylic paint and her more detailed pieces have a stained glass like appearance. Her carvings of fishermen were loosely based on the people from her Cape Breton community. Imelda George is famous for her angels, treasure chests and santas. Her santas were featured in a book by Kevin Major which was first published in 1997. The House of Wooden Santas unfolds over 24 chapters. Each chapter is meant to be read nightly, like a literary twist on an Advent calendar. Major bought the first four santas from Imelda George and when he came up with the concept for the book, he commissioned George to carve the remaining 20 santas. The most striking feature of this book are the full colour photographs of her woodcarvings. Imelda participated in several Nova Scotia Folk Art Festivals but stopped carving around 2004 due to an allergy to the wood dust. She still occasionally carves something for close family or friends.

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