SACO — Artists and crafters have reached out to the Journal Tribune after the unanticipated abundance of driftwood found at Bayview Beach recently, and the Journal Tribune would like to showcase some of the art in an online photo gallery.The small pieces of beach wood that spanned as far as the eye could see southward from the Bay View Beach entrance late last month was an unexpected byproduct of a recent beach nourishment.

As part of an Army Corps of Engineers’ dredging project in the Saco River, sand from the mouth of the river was transported to bulk up the Saco shoreline, an area vulnerable to erosion.

The dredge hit pockets of woody material more extensive than shown in prior sampling, leaving an unexpected amount of woody material on the beach, according to Tim Dugan, spokesman for the Army Corps New England.

The Corps will remove the debris later this month, but in the meantime, local crafters have been doing some removal of their own.

When word got out about the curious abundance of driftwood after a story the Journal Tribune published on March 29, crafters from York County and beyond flocked to the beach, bringing record crowds to the local shoreline in late March.

“We went today and both parking lots were full, excited collectors were everywhere,” wrote Gayle Perkins of Wells in an email to the Journal Tribune on March 30.

Artist Dawn Jenkins travels periodically from Massachusetts to Maine to pick up driftwood she uses to craft mixed media fish sculptures. Her art, which she calls “Bedazzled Fish,” can be found at the White Door Home Store in Biddeford.

“Seeing Liz’s article about the dredging of the Saco River and the driftwood that washed ashore on Bayview Beach a few weeks back sent me on a trip to Maine immediately and what a trip it was,” said Jenkins.

Jenkins and Perkins were just two of the artists that the Journal Tribune has heard from, and Perkins suggested an online gallery of artwork made from the driftwood.

“It would be really fun to see how we all use this bounty of the sea,” Perkins said.

The Journal Tribune agrees and is requesting photos from artists and crafters of artwork made from the Saco beach wood to showcase in an upcoming online photo gallery.

Photos can be sent to egotthelf@journaltribune.com through April 15. Submissions should include the name of the artist and the town or city where they live.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.