While sorting through my rather expansive driftwood collection recently, I kept coming back to a few pieces with a different origin story. Chunks of old boards and poles, pieces of processed lumber reclaimed by the lake and tumbled alongside their more natural-state kin. The sun, sand, waves, and stones patiently scoured away sharp cuts and rigid straight lines, bringing about softer, smoother edges and highlighting the flowing wavy grain of the wood. The colors of these pieces range from charcoal grey to shimmering silver and nostalgic sepia to earthy taupe. They are simply beautiful.
Later that afternoon as I prepped a painting to mount on a wood panel, I thought about those unique pieces of driftwood and, with a bit of processing and preparation, what a beautiful alternative they would be to a frame or a store-bought wooden panel. Out to the wood shop I went.
Out in the shop as I was sorting through sand paper, my eye was drawn to a few five-gallon buckets filled with wood chunks. Odds and ends of varying sizes, a variety of wood species, cut-offs and leftover pieces from past woodworking projects. Scraps, I guess. Smaller in dimension than the paper I generally paint on, but I saw their potential. Back to the studio I went, an armful of driftwood boards and lumber scraps.
My new collection was born.
Upcycling, recycling, reclaiming, salvaging, repurposing, whatever your preferred term, there’s something so satisfying about making art out of items with a previous life. The colors, textures, imperfections, and history make these originals truly original. No duplication or print option, just a one-of-a-kind piece of art with a unique history.
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