B.C. artist Paul Lewis crafts a driftwood dinosaur on a remote coast as a heartfelt tribute to the late rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.
A Rock Legend’s Passing Sparks Creativity
On a remote stretch of Vancouver Island’s wild west coast, Paul Lewis was halfway through a demanding day’s work when he heard the news that shook him — Ozzy Osbourne had passed away.
The B.C. driftwood artist was helping restore the 100-year-old Estevan Point Lighthouse on the isolated Hesquiat Peninsula, a spot so remote it can only be reached by helicopter.
With the Pacific winds whipping around him and the salty air stinging his skin, Lewis reached for his phone. He queued up Ozzy’s greatest hits, letting the familiar riffs and haunting lyrics flood the silence.
From Loss to Inspiration
As the music played, grief gave way to an idea. If Ozzy was the “Prince of Darkness,” then Lewis would build something wild, something worthy of the metal icon’s larger-than-life legacy.
Within hours, his mind had settled on it — a dinosaur. Not just any dinosaur, but one shaped from weathered driftwood, a fusion of prehistoric ferocity and rock-and-roll rebellion.
Crafting a Coastal Monumen
Every plank, every curve, every nail was placed with intention. The driftwood, bleached by sun and sea, seemed almost alive under Lewis’s hands. The finished sculpture stood proud against the rugged coastline, its jagged silhouette echoing the raw power of Ozzy’s music.
It wasn’t just art. It was a monument — a reminder that music, like the ocean, never truly fades.
More Than a Tribute
For Lewis, the sculpture is both a personal farewell and a public celebration. “It’s my way of saying thank you,” he says. “Ozzy’s music has been the soundtrack to so many moments in my life. This is my gift back.”
Now, nestled in one of Canada’s most remote landscapes, a driftwood dinosaur keeps watch — a silent, weathered guardian of the memory of the Prince of Darkness.
