Charming Wooden Animal Sculptures Designed with Articulated Torsos and Tails by Jeff Soan

Sculptor and toy maker Jeff Soan transforms discarded furniture, driftwood, industrial pallets, and other reclaimed wood into creatures of the land and sea. Using a self-described technique called “Wobbly Wood,” Soan creates articulation in his sculptures by scoring the wood into multiple sections along their tails and torsos. This allows them to wiggle and gently move side-to-side as they are picked up or stroked. In order to eliminate as much waste as possible, the artist considers future sculptures during the building of each otter, pangolin, or mollusk. He slices shapes that might make sense for the tail of a fish, while considering the beak of a bird, or the leg of an iguana.

Soan studied art and design at Goldsmiths College in London in the 1960s, and later followed up his art training with a course in toy making at the London College of Furniture. You can see more of his sculptures and examples of “Wobbly Wood” works on his website and Instagram. (via Lustik)