From the Shoreline to the Spotlight: How Alex Witcombe Turned Driftwood into a Career
What started as a quirky beach day project to impress a girl has become a career for Alex Witcombe, the artist behind Drifted Creations. Armed with a keen eye for wood and a big imagination, Witcombe has built a loyal following and a growing legacy of driftwood sculptures at the same time.
It all began in 2016 with Sheila, a life-sized velociraptor sculpted from sun-bleached driftwood along Stories Beach which is 15 minutes south of Campbell River. Legend has it that Witcombe was trying to impress an artsy girl and asked her to the beach to build a dinosaur out of driftwood. She declined and didn’t think he was serious until he sent her a picture of Shelia several hours later. What was supposed to be a one-time project sparked something deeper. Sheila went viral on social media, catching the eye of locals and tourists alike and launching Witcombe into full-time artistic waters.
Based on Quadra Island, Witcombe now crafts towering dinosaurs, curious woodland creatures, and even life-sized vehicles out of locally sourced driftwood. His portfolio includes standout installations like “Sarah the Herrerasaurus” on the Willow Point Seawalk, “Mayhew the Sasquatch” hidden in Rebecca Spit Provincial Park, and “Magnolia”, a driftwood VW bus that lives outside Hotel Zed in Tofino complete with an engine and license plate.
“About 70% of my time is spent sourcing the right wood,” Witcombe told Hakai magazine. “You can’t fake good materials.”
It’s not just about wood—it’s about character. His sculptures are often named and infused with personality. Peabody the Raccoon is dressed up for the holidays by locals. Bruce the Bear quietly guards the end of Spruce Street in Campbell River. These are more than static displays. They’re characters in a growing Canadian mythos.
An Emily Carr University of Art and Design graduate, Witcombe brings a formal foundation to his otherwise free-form medium. His background in drawing, illustration, and public art informs both the structural soundness and visual impact of his work. Some pieces even include interactive elements, like open doors or spaces people can sit inside, blurring the line between sculpture and experience.
While his work is playful, it’s also rooted in sustainability. Every sculpture was created from reclaimed natural material. Each piece is a tribute to the forces of wind, water, and time—and to the coastlines that provide the raw ingredients.
“I like the idea that something discarded by the ocean can become something worth celebrating,” Witcombe shared in Driver magazine.
As public interest grows, so does the artist’s reach. His sculptures have appeared at resorts, festivals, and waterfronts, each new project finding a home in nature or hospitality settings that embrace the storytelling his work evokes. Even if the girl from the beach has long since moved on, Alex Witcombe’s driftwood dinosaurs, bears, buses, and Bigfoots continue to charm and inspire. It’s only natural.
Photos courtesy of Alex Whitcombe and Drifted Creations
