Saint George & the Dragon, Carved Out of Section of Plank - Painted c. 1938

Majel G. Claflin made this Saint George and the Dragon carving from a section of painted plank. Imagine the artist, Claflin, carefully carving away at the wood, letting the figures emerge from the grain. The colours are muted—the horse a gentle blue, the dragon a soft terracotta. Each stroke of paint seems deliberate, defining the forms, giving life to the scene. It feels almost like a dream, a medieval tale softened by Claflin’s touch. The dragon looks like a big lizard and the horse has such a kind eye. There’s a quiet confidence in the carving, a sense of storytelling passed down through generations. Maybe Claflin was thinking about her own battles, her own dragons to slay. It’s as if she’s inviting us to join the story, to imagine our own versions of courage and transformation. It makes you think about how artists are always responding to each other, across time.