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James Doran Webb Driftwood Sculptor
James spent his early childhood in Devon. He attended St.
Andrews Prep School, near Reading in Berkshire, as a boarder, and
passed his common entrance exam aged twelve. His education was as
privileged as it was unconventional. His parents travelled extensively
in the pursuit of art and antiques, and James spent his teenage years
schooling in Basel, Switzerland, on the Adriatic coast of Italy, on the
East coast of the States and central France before returning to London
to take his ‘A’ levels at Davies Laing and Dick, Notting Hill Gate. It
was his intention to go on to study the History of Art at The Courtold
Institute in London but while attending college he had started his own
antiques business with a weekend stand at Portobello Market in London.
He
has always loved antiques and has been working with wood, making models
and miniature sculptures since he was a small boy. His childhood was
spent in the workshops of his parents’ antiques restoration company both
in the UK and in France, whittling, carving and refinishing. By the
time he reached his late teens he was not only an accomplished antique
dealer but also a very competent cabinet maker, and was quite at home
restoring such varied items as heavily carved oak and walnut furniture
to the odd Queen Anne finely veneered bureau bookcase. He first
travelled to The Philippines by chance in 1989; it was to be an extended
holiday. It was love at first site. He was entranced by the
countryside, the beaches, the wildlife and above all by the people with
their natural flair for colour and artistry. In 1990 he set up a
company designing and making a range of wooden objects to sell in Europe
and the USA, boxes and picture frames encrusted in shells and marble,
large papier mache animals and pieces of fine furniture made from wood
salvaged from old demolished hardwood houses.
James is an avid
outdoor enthusiast, mountain biking, hiking and kayaking in the remotest
parts of the Philippines. He is quite a well known sportsman in the
Philippines, twice an Iron man and with many other Adventure Racing
titles under his belt. He has extensive local knowledge of most of the
larger islands that make up the archipelago. Through such activities and
travels he has built up a network of driftwood gatherers and receives
tremendous support from the governors of a number of islands where his
driftwood collecting venture provides much needed cash for the poorer
fishing villages. James has amassed an extensive collection of
driftwood, varying in size and form from small pieces to large natural
sculptures, each piece hewn by natural forces into a myriad of
individual shapes. The wood is found along the shorelines and riverbeds
of the archipelago and is from a number of indigenous species, all
dense enough to withstand years and years of exposure to the extreme
tropical climate.
James started to design driftwood furniture in
2005 and it was while playing with the various natural forms that he
decided to try his hand at making animal sculptures. His large supply
of the wood has made it possible for him to find the pieces of branch
which most lend themselves to the natural form and shape needed to give
his animals the movement and reality he strives to obtain in every piece
he creates.
He now spends as much time as he can spare in his
studio. He has six assistants who help him sort and clean the wood, weld
the steel frames and generally assist where and whenever they are
needed, always under James’ strict instructions and supervision.
James' studio in the Philippines
Oengus the Stag Alethea - full sized mare Rutting stags Rearing Stallion
 Bear and Salmon Fox cubs at play Pair of boxing hares O Toro
James recent One Man Exhibition - St Helier - Jersey
Website
Contact James
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