Nancy-May The Baby Humpback Whale

I like to create sea animals from reclaimed trees that needed to be removed for responsible reasons. It gives me great pleasure to see these amazing trees live on in another form for years to come, instead of becoming turned into firewood or mulch.

Judge's Comments MIFGS 2026

This sculpture is notable for both its sensitivity of subject and its thoughtful use of reclaimed material. Carved from a 50-year-old Atlantic cedar log, it gives renewed life to a tree that might otherwise have been lost, transforming it into a gentle and evocative marine form. There is something deeply generous in that act of renewal, and the work carries a quiet sense of care, continuity and respect for both tree and creature.