I just heard that a true icon in the woodcarving world, Nora Hall, passed away recently. I have never had a chance to meet her, but have spoken to her on the phone and was very familiar with her as a highly talented and respected woodcarver. I believe she was into her 90s and was still teaching classes until recently.
She was born in Holland and learned woodcarving from her father. I remember seeing her on The Woodwright’s Show with Roy Underhill and it was fascinating to hear her stories of being a woodcarver during the war when they would make carvings, bury them for a week or so to let them age, then sell them to the German soldiers as antiques.
I really wish I would have been able to meet her. This is a real loss to the woodcarving world. She has influenced many people through her DVDs and classes. Anyone I spoke to who was interested in learning woodcarving knew of Nora Hall. If they had not already taken a class from her, then doing so was in their “bucket list”.
My prayers go out to her family.
Nora was indeed a gem. I met her in Maine, taking a carving class (around 1997) at Peter Korn’s school.
Nora was very enthusiastically reading the sermons of the Scottish Victorian, George MacDonald at the time. We had some really wonderful and deep discussions about life, theology, and other “First Things”. I kept in touch with Nora for a few years after that.
She had a soft spoken, patient manner of teaching. She was lovely and gentle, and she made a deep impact on me.
–Wm. Brown
Forest, VA