Making use of what lies at hand comes naturally to George Berry of Pearl, Mississippi. When George was seven years old, his father gave him a jack knife and he has been carving ever since. A master at portraying the animals that inhabit this part of rural Mississippi, Berry still uses just a pocketknife to create hunting dogs, rabbits, catfish and mules.

Much of Berry’s inspiration is drawn from the landscape of Mississippi. He worked as an industrial arts instructor at The Piney Woods School in rural Rankin County for 14 years. The serene, rustic campus was a perfect setting for him. Berry most often carves wildlife figures, including owls, frogs, eagles, and other animals. He also creates carvings of animals that are important to Mississippi's culture, like hunting dogs and catfish.