George arrived in Montreal in 1954 only to realise that just one percent of his neighbourhood spoke English. Consequently, he learned French in only three fights. Growing up in Montreal-est was study in contrasts and likenesses: like telling jokes about the French at English School, and repeating the same jokes to his Francophone buddies, only with the Anglos as the butts of the jokes.
Instead of joining the RCMP, George enrolled in Dawson College (the “pill factory”) and spent a great deal of time at everything but attending classes.
He fled to Vancouver in 1973 and has been in the Lower Mainland ever since. George now resides on the Sunshine Coast with wife Pia Sillem – a widely respected potter and sculptor, and Bessie and Count Drogo (border collies deluxe).
George has never even taken a sketching class, primarily out of stinginess and eventually out of fear. His primary interest lies in showing the spirit of working people at their jobs-bringing royal portraiture to the masses. He has been described by the Federation of Canadian Artists as ‘one of our members.’