A Happy Accident

Family heirlooms aren’t Richard’s only source for materials; often, the perfect pieces turn up in unlikely places. “I find things everywhere, from beaches and antique shops to my own firewood pile,” he said.

In 1992, Richard volunteered to help carve architectural embellishments for a new community center in his hometown of Shawnigan Lake, a village on Vancouver Island, B.C. Even though he had no previous carving experience, Richard was all too eager to be taken under the wing of the late George Norris, who specialized in traditional European chip carving. “George organized the project for the center, and I was so lucky to learn woodcarving from a master carver like him,” he said.

Richard soon became hooked on woodcarving and started making designs of his own. One day, a finished bird sculpture developed a deep split after being left out in the sun. Instead of discarding it, Richard covered the crack with metal feathers. “It was a happy accident in hindsight,” he said.

Richard adds intricate chip carving designs to his projects.

Once his metal-and-wood hybrid bird materialized, Richard’s imagination took flight. He began modifying other elements by experimenting with chip carving, stains, and inks. Richard also tried to challenge himself by creating designs based on the forests and animals that surround his island home, sometimes adding exaggerated features like teeth, colorful eyes, and mythical armor.

Richard uses whatever he can get his hands on to turn the ideas in his head into reality. “With each bit of scrap metal and wood, I get to craft new artifacts from old ones and pay tribute to the creatures that inspired them,” he said.

To see more of Richard’s work, visit @bastard_file on Instagram.

Salmon made out of yellow cedar and repurposed metal bits.