When you first glance at the photos, you think, "What a beautiful creature."  There's a horse trotting along the shore, head up and smelling the wind as feet prance on the sand. A small brown colt stands in a field, tail up and looking as if he might burst into action. A regal horse stands sedately on green grass, and another walks majestically down the sidewalk … Wait a minute - horses don't walk free on sidewalks, do they?

Closer inspection shows these horses don't walk either. In fact, they don't move at all. The creations of near-life in the pictures are actual driftwood sculptures from artist Heather Jansch. Residing in England, Jansch sorts through driftwood washed up on shores to select for her wonderful artistry.

The notion of crafting horses from driftwood is novel in itself. Who would have thought? (Besides Jansch, that is.) What is even more marvelous is that Jansch creates sculptures of such size and complexity, and with such attention that the equine statues of surf waste seem poised to magically defy realism and prance about.

Jansch originally began her hobby as a mistake. Her usual medium, copper wire, was missing a piece. A sharp eye spotted a piece of wood for the horse's torso she required, and one thought led to another. The driftwood horses turned from simply thought to reality.

Jansch's equines are more than just driftwood creations. They're designed with architecture, weight, and stability in mind. These aren't simply sticks placed together. They're large, heavy pieces of wood that are constructed in such a way that they not only stand as life-sized horses, but can support the elements of rain and wind as well. Of course, steel framing does come in handy to ensure the sculptures hold and survive crane transportation to and from their final resting locations.

And their final resting locations may be ones the horses stand at for a very long time. Jansch's website commentary notes that the horses will remain long after she does, but for those with skeptical minds or who want an equine statue to last the true test of forever, bronze-coated models are available.

Amazing Driftwood Horse Sculptures

Posted by Louise.

Louise writes for Creative And Unique Gift Ideas.