About the Artist
Nick is a marine biologist who has swapped his dive gear for wood working tools. He has decades of experience in the ecology of wild creatures. His university, government and consultancy positions focused on the assessment, management and conservation of aquatic creatures. His science career included field research in tropical, temperate and polar environments.
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Nick has a lifelong passion for adventure sports. As a committed outdoor enthusiast, he has deep dived into kayaking, climbing, mountain biking, fly-fishing and surfing (and its associated travel). His outdoor adventures around the world helped shape him, and these experiences have profoundly influenced his outlook on life.
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Together, his decades of research into wild creatures, and adventures in wilderness areas have fostered a deep love and appreciation of the natural world. Since 2020 this has found creative expression via wildlife sculpture using natural and recycled materials sourced around Tasmania. Tasmania is a heavily forested triangular island at the bottom of the world. It is blessed with incredible old growth forests, unique species and wild places.
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Often travelling by sea kayak, Nick searches for and carefully selects driftwood pieces to be transformed into sculptures. When his imagination is in focus, he can see parts of a creature’s anatomy in the driftwood. Where others may see firewood, he discovers an eagle’s wing, a tuna’s tail or a marlin’s bill. It’s an unpredictable search and the driftwood ultimately calls the shots. He typically lets the wood decide the project. The beauty, shape, colour and texture of the time-worn timber determine how it will be reincarnated in a sculptural form. Ideally this driftwood transformation occurs with the least possible pieces and least possible modification of them.
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Nick loves the whole sculptural process; from the initial search for promising materials, to the conception, construction and engineering of robust structures. He attempts to capture the essence of wild creatures while featuring the beauty of natural materials. In this process he is often drawn between two, sometimes competing goals; simplicity and minimization on one hand, and anatomical accuracy on the other. Like science, it seems art isn’t simple. That’s part of the allure.
