Neil Richardson
Sculptures through recycled driftwood
After working in the marine industry for over 30 years, I started as a full-time commercial shellfisherman. I then gained a qualification in Coastal Zone Managment from Glamorgan University, which led me to gain employment as a Fisheries Enforcement Officer in Wales. I moved to Dorset in 2021 as a Fisheries Enforcement Officer and in 2004 became one of the Deputy Chief Executive Officers, till my retirement in 2021. I have been very privileged to spend time at sea or walking the beaches which has given me the opportunity to collect different types of driftwood from beaches in Wales especially Pendine, Ferryside and Laugharne. During my travels in Dorset I have collected driftwood mostly from Chesil Beach. These are all great places to collect driftwood from, which have been shaped by the sea and the rocks/pebbles, as the tide and stormy weather bashes the wood and smooths it as it rubs against the rocks. I have been fortunate to collected driftwood which still has pebbles in the holes of the wood, or bits of shipwrecks that have broken off and washed up on the foreshore. I used to pick up all the driftwood and bring it home and dry it out ready to make my sculptures. However, When I collect driftwood now, I can be a little more selective in what I remove, as I know what shapes work and don't work when sculpting. I feel I have developed a good knowledge of the different types of fish and use most of my imagination when sculpting 3d sculptures. When collecting the different shapes of driftwood from the beaches I also remove some of the anthropogenic marine debris which has been washed up too. Hopefully this will reduce the current increase in micro plastics, creating more long-term damage to the environment and food-chain.
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