About Jamie's Carvings

My name is Jamie Thibault I am an Acadian woodcarver from Clare, Nova Scotia. I have a studio located in beautiful Grosses Coques. I have been carving for over 27 years. I first began carving when I was around 12, carving tiny skateboards, (wheels and all) about key chain size. I sold a few of these at Art en Mineraux Gallery. I then got into air brushing, first on clothes than on cars, so carving took a back burner for awhile.

The piece that got me back into carving was a gearshift for my car. It was a skeleton hand holding an eyeball. I used a exacto knife, not exactly a carving tool! When it gets dull you snap off the blade to get to the next sharp blade. It was soft wood and I painted it. That was it, I was done airbrushing. Carving was again my passion/obsession. I made a few more shifters then began relief carvings and sculptures, also out of softwood. My first hardwood piece was using an old recycled pallet board that came all the way from New Brunswick. It has a beautiful grain, bird’s eye maple. It is "The Captain" and is a very special piece to me.

I prefer carving with hardwood, with exotic grains and hardwood burls. The harder the better. Birds Eye Maple and Maple burIs are my favorite. I now use carving gouges, scrapers, rasps and sometimes a dremmel tool to get in hard to reach places. I also use some knives I made myself from old files. My hand tools are used whenever possible, the dremmel is only used when there is no other choice. I do not paint the wood, and now usually only use natural hemp oil for finish. If the piece is to be functional, such as a gearshift, I would use a thicker, harder finish.

My work has been part of art exhibitions at Universite Ste Anne “4 Sculptors from Clare” in October 2004 and "3 Sculptors and an Angel" in June 2009 as well as group exhibits with members of La Conseil des arts de la Baie in 2010 & 2011. I have carved wildlife, portraits, wizards, dragons, gunstocks, frames, mantle pieces, canes, signs, violins, high & low relief carvings, sculptures and many other pieces. My Acadian Star Fiddle is on display at the Acadian Museum in Church Point, Nova Scotia.

I have experimented with Tagua Nuts, also known as Vegetable Ivory. They are the seed of the ivory palm found in South America. Tagua is used as a substitute for elephant ivory. I have made commissioned pendants, wedding rings, small sculptures out of whole nuts and used the tagua nut in my fiddles. I have developed an allergy to the dust and no longer work with Tagua.

I now carve fiddles, The Purple Heart Violin, The Acadian Star Fiddle & my third, The Eagle Fiddle. They sound great, very loud! I used books and was taught everything by my cousin Ewart Thibault. He is a great teacher and taught me many things. He has made 44 fiddles, and was taught by his father. It is Thibault Family Tradition.

Give me a picture and I can carve it.

Link to article about Jamie's Carvings "Emerging Form" appearing in the Digby Courier.

Contact Us

Jamie's Carvings

Site 4 Box 6, RR # 1 Church Point, Nova Scotia, Canada B0W 1M0

902-837-7770

info@jamiescarvings.com

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