Drifting Images

Water-Carved Wood Creates Life-Sized Equine Sculptures

Diftwood: wood carved by wind and water into shapes that capture the imagination. For artist Richard Jones, driftwood comes alive as hooves, eyes, legs, and ears. He combines each carefully collected element, building life-size horses, each with a unique character and energy of their own.

“I can’t walk down a beach without seeing body parts,” Richard laughs. “Driftwood jumps out from its resting place and ends up in my studio. When I’m putting a sculpture together, these same pieces guide the shape and form of my work.”

Richard frequently collects wood in the San Juan Islands, piling pieces into his boat. He’s even risked capsizing his kayak to collect wood along the Columbia. “Some of this wood I’ve had for the past 10 years,” he admits.

“Sometimes a piece of wood will direct the sculpture,” he says. “Some wood is obvious—it suggests a leg, a haunch, or a shoulder. When a piece presents itself, it’s kind of magic. The wood nearly flies out of the woodpile. Discovery takes place. I love watching how it develops.”

Starting with a frame and an idea of what he wants, Richard selects wood to fit the mood and movement of the sculpture. Each project is a mix of art and engineering. “You need to identify the stress points,” he says, “especially with larger pieces.” In most cases, a sculpture takes about three months to construct. “Sometimes I’ll live with a sculpture for a while, deciding whether or not a particular piece of wood belongs where I’ve put it.”

“I’m looking for both motion and emotion,” Richard explains. And, while he does design sculptures of deer and other animals, horses are his favorite, for their expressiveness.

Richard has come to love horses despite a rocky start. “As a child, I was bucked off a pony at the Woodland Park Zoo,” he laughs. “I was afraid of them for a long time.” In recent years, he’s made friends with several Kiger Mustangs and has ventured back in the saddle to ride a friend’s Thoroughbred. “Just grooming them, you get a wonderful feel for the their muscle and movement,” Richard notes.

Currently, Richard is working on a series he calls “The Cobalt Path”, which uses horses to describe a life path of growth and spiritual development. The first piece, “The Journey” was sold at the PONCHO Auction in Seattle, where it went to a good home.

Another piece in the series, a colt named “The Beginning,” is taking shape in his home studio. “The Beginning” portrays a colt taking his first step in life without his dam. He twists his head, away from the mare, moving with intention toward his new life. The piece is full of motion—and emotion—from the swing of the colt’s tail to the look in his eye. The result is an endearing colt with a life-energy of his own.

Richard Jones combines the beauty of water-carved wood with the grace of the horse, creating one of a kind sculptures any horse-lover would be privileged to own.

You can see more of Richard’s work at www.drifting-images.com or in person at PosterGarden in Portland on First Thursday. Richard’s website includes a listing of gallery showings, as well. In addition to finished pieces, Richard works on a commission basis, designing pieces to delight their owners.

Click here to read more about Richard Jones & his work.