Live by the Tides
Featured Artist: Mike Smith I
By Amy Thurman Photos provided by Live by the Tides Background Image by Orange Grove Media
t takes a special kind of creative mind to see a beaten up piece of wood, covered in mud, and think, “I could make something with that!” But that’s just what Savannah native Mike Smith does, using scraps of wood he finds discarded, and driftwood he comes across in the marsh or tidal creeks. From his childhood, into adulthood and his career at International Paper, and now in his retirement, Mike has always loved being out on the water, fishing, crabbing, harvesting oysters and throwing a cast net. While many would toss aside the bits of driftwood they come across, Mike got to thinking that maybe he could gather a few more and turn them into the shape of a fish. So he did. He found he enjoyed the process and made more, giving some away, selling others, and trying new designs. About five years ago, Mike was talking with his daughter Alana about their love of the outdoors and commented, “Everything we do around here is based on the tides. We live by the tides.” The phrase stuck and Alana purchased the domain
