The South Shields artist who created all these from driftwood as he fought cancer

David Routledge, 59, began creating seaside villages, lighthouses and coastal views from driftwood which he found during his walks on the shoreline.

And what started out as a hobby to distract him from his fight against cancer, became a website with interest from as far away as New Zealand.

David is now ‘doing quite well’ after a five year health battle which has included surgery and radiotherapy.

He would walk with his wife and dog on the beaches of South Tyneside and picked up driftwood which he worked into wonderful pieces of art.

The retired civil servant said: “I did bits and pieces to keep my mind off things and people were saying where did you get that from?

"So I thought ‘perhaps I can make things for other people’.

"I did it as a hobby and then did craft fairs for two or three years for pocket money, but craft fairs are few and far between at the moment.”

David’s impressive artwork, which even includes seagulls perching on a fish and chip van, can be seen and bought from his website called North East Coastal Arts.

Other works include street scenes, seagulls on a cliff, a harbour view and a Devon village.

After David’s cancer diagnosis, he had to have his prostate removed and said: “They hoped to have removed it all.

"I had to have radiotherapy four years ago and since then things seemed to have been fine. I have to have tests every six months and they never say you are cured but I feel perfectly fine at the moment.

"The driftwood art started as therapy and it has grown to be bigger than that now.”

David is no stranger to creativity and said: “I have painted in the past and I have made furniture out of driftwood.”

But now, his artwork is in demand and he said: “I have done commissions. I have also sent work abroad when people have wanted it as gifts for family.”

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