I Whittle Sea Creatures From Random Tree Branches I Pick Up

When out walking, I am always on the lookout for fallen branches or bits of wood discarded after local government or aborist workers have been trimming trees and bushes. Mostly these are in local parks, but I will grab a bit of wood from anywhere it is legal to do so!

I started whittling dolphins 25 years ago from driftwood while sitting around a campfire. Now I make a mess in my lounge while watching TV, or outside listening to the wind sigh through the trees. It is very cathartic.

All creatures are created using just a pocketknife and finished using sandpaper before finally sealing with a gloss or satin spray. Each item, while ranging between 2-7 inches (5 -17 cm) long takes around 12-18 hours to complete. Most time is taken in whittling away excess material as often the wood is very hard. Time could be dramatically reduced if I used a bandsaw or similar, but I don't. Shown here are just a few I still own, others have been given as gifts.

More info: matteliason.com