Artist’s lament: Raven sculpture and its baby destroyed at Esquimalt Lagoon
Published 2:30 pm Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Artist Paul Lewis is pretty accustomed to vandals ripping apart his hard work. In the face of finding one of his first Esquimalt Lagoon pieces destroyed, with parts discarded across the beach and parking lot, ahead of the holidays, the driftwood sculptor sees opportunity.
A raven and its chick perched in a giant nest stood the test of time at the Colwood beach. Going up in May 2018, they were his longest standing work. But, being among his first sculptures to grace the space, Lewis is excited to replace it with his new, more refined work.
A few days before Christmas while having a coffee at the beach with his wife, the couple noticed the big raven missing entirely, and the little one missing a wing. After a look around, he found body parts scattered.
“There’s not a chance in hell that was the wind,” Lewis said of the damage. “Somebody smashed this thing apart.”
READ ALSO: Driftwood artist explores tech solution to stolen Colwood sculptures
READ ALSO: Lagoon artist crafts work for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fundraiser
About 10 of his works dot the public beach, with a number as high as 20 at times. It’s not unusual for them to be broken or stolen, and it’s always disheartening.
“The good thing is I get to create something new. That was the third one I ever did so it was like kindergarten,” Lewis told the Goldstream Gazette. “Whatever I put there it’s got to be something big … it’s going to be my new style and way better.”
Those days he’d create something in five hours, now his more detailed sculptures can take up to four days.
An octopus is already underway for the public realm, and a recently completed barred owl is headed for his uncle’s place in Florida.
The Colwood community, and visitors, seem to care for the wooden critters living at the Esquimalt Lagoon. Each time the driftwood displays, sculptures of birds, fish and more are damaged or stolen, they come through to help the artists recoup, recover and rebuild.
Most recently, a barred owl disappeared from the shoreline, one that had seen many attempted thefts already, Lewis said. Many of the sculptures are now equipped with trackers, but the artist has a simpler message for those looking to lift or destroy a piece of art.
“You’re not hurting me at all, you’re hurting the public and the community because they’re so loved.”