If youB次元官网网址檝e spent time at Esquimalt Lagoon, you may have noticed the driftwood sculptures of animals and birds that line the beach. For Paul Lewis, the artist behind many of those creations, the natural world is both his medium and muse.
A resident of Greater Victoria for 49 years, Lewis takes his inspiration from the outdoors and the creatures we share the coastline with. From kayak encounters with sea lions, to rescuing baby otters, to catching glimpses of bears and orcas, heB次元官网网址檚 been up close and personal with almost all the iconic animals of the Pacific Northwest.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 what itB次元官网网址檚 all about. I live on the ocean here. This is my thing,B次元官网网址� Lewis said.
Inspiration for the driftwood sculptures struck him in spring of 2018. April 6, to be exact. At the time, Alex WhitcombB次元官网网址檚 driftwood sculpture, McGnarly the Beach Ent, already graced the beach. While drinking a coffee and watching the birds at the lagoon, something clicked for Lewis.
He went and grabbed his brotherB次元官网网址檚 screw gun and a handful of screws, and set to work creating an eagle.
B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 know what I was doing. I took white shells to do the head B次元官网网址� I must have broken 10 shells for every one that I could actually drill through,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 was like, B次元官网网址榥ever again,B次元官网网址� but people loved it.B次元官网网址�
HeB次元官网网址檚 made a number of pieces since then, so many heB次元官网网址檚 lost count. After the eagle came a raven, an owl, a goose and a heron, to name a few.
B次元官网网址淚 always love the birds down here. I usually walk the beach, clean up all the garbage that I see. Especially around my birds. I kind of take responsibility for this area.B次元官网网址�
READ MORE: Local Heroes shine on the West Shore
This year, when the weather warms up, he plans on revamping the area by taking out seven existing pieces and creating new ones from scratch. His style has progressed quite a bit since those early days. HeB次元官网网址檚 netted quite a few paying customers, too, including a commission from the City of Colwood to make their driftwood sign at the intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Kelly Road. HeB次元官网网址檚 also the artist behind the huge sasquatch outside the East Sooke grocery store.
Lewis has become a local fixture at Esquimalt Lagoon, soaking up the enjoyment of passersby who marvel at his work.
B次元官网网址淚 love doing the public stuff for people. Watching so many people come down and take pictures,B次元官网网址� he said.
He doesnB次元官网网址檛 always tell people who he is, even when they ask if he knows the artist.
B次元官网网址淚 just smile and say, B次元官网网址榶eah I know who did B次元官网网址榚m,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he said with a laugh.
He takes a special joy in mentoring children too. He connected with a young autistic boy and his mother at the beach one day. He stayed in touch and went to visit him when he was recovering from an illness.
B次元官网网址淭he day he got out of the hospital, I went over to his house and spent some time with him. I bought him some Play-Doh, we painted rocks up like ladybugs and bees,B次元官网网址� Lewis said.
A year after that he ran into the mother and son again. He found the young boy creating a massive beach art installation of his own, a giant sea turtle made of rocks.
B次元官网网址淚 was just amazed at his ability to construct this, and have that vision,B次元官网网址� Lewis said.
His life hasnB次元官网网址檛 been all beach sculptures and mentoring children. He spent eight years in prison after a series of armed robberies. He describes that period as a rough time in his life.
B次元官网网址淪ome of us, itB次元官网网址檚 a way of learning. And I learned the hard way every time.B次元官网网址�
The time in jail came with a mixed blessing. It was there that he really dove into his art practice. It began as a way of filling time and wound up being incredibly therapeutic. On 23-hour lockdowns in his cell, he would pore over drawings, first in pencil, then in black ink.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 save up my pennies B次元官网网址� working on the range, sweeping the range, youB次元官网网址檇 get your $30 every two weeks. My family and stuff would put money in my account so I could buy art supplies. ThatB次元官网网址檚 how it all started,B次元官网网址� Lewis recalled.
He sees his driftwood sculptures as a labour of love and a way for him to give back to society. B次元官网网址淓verything happens for a reason, too. I had to go through that to become who I am today. I love who I am today. I absolutely love myself now,B次元官网网址� he said.
Paul Lewis is the 2021 Arts Advocate of the Year.
Nominations for the 2022 Local Hero Awards West Shore open on Feb. 25. To learn more, go to .
-Emily Vance/Contributor
READ MORE: 2021 Local Hero Awards West Shore
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