Many artists and makers draw inspiration from the unique qualities of driftwood. It offers one-of-a-kind organic forms, naturally weathered finishes, a close connection to nature and sustainable resources. It’s also surprisingly versatile resulting in artworks from high-end, fine art sculptures to fun, folk art décor.
Read on for an extensive roundup of driftwood art created by a variety of artists and makers from around the world.
First up, are large scale sculptures created with vast quantities of individual pieces of driftwood which have been carefully selected and positioned.
I had the pleasure of viewing this incredible moose sculpture in person at the Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Gardens. It was created by Mike Batten of Topsail Driftwood.
Batten also created this splendid breaching trout which he shared on Instagram.
Driftwood artist Alex Witcombe, of Drifted Creations on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, uses countless individual pieces of found wood to create an array of life-size sculptures. This outstanding art installation features two seals named Finn and Sally.
This splendid wolf sculpture was created by Jeffro Uitto of Tokeland, Washington. “Jeffro’s art supply store is the mouths of rivers and coastlines in the Pacific Northwest of the United States where nature’s leftovers get a second chance at stardom”.
Bonnie Jane Major, of Bonnie Jane Design, creates unique “Driftwood art: Hand-picked driftwood from the pristine shores of Magdalen Islands, artfully created in Senneville Québec.” This gorgeous driftwood horse is titled Newborn.
Most of these large sculptures feature driftwood pieces assembled en masse. Driftwood pieces can also be used individually to create smaller sculptural pieces.
Tatjana Kozlova, of Driftwood Lab in Riga Latvia, “transform[s] driftwood collected along the shores of the Baltic Sea into whimsical creations. From miniature houses and seaside villages to delicate garlands and boats…”.
Based in Normandy France, Marc Bourlier’s signature driftwood art features seas of astonished faces.
Jerry Walsh Artisan, from Nova Scotia, “create[s] distinctive accents for the home and garden using recycled, grey old wood and driftwood, and accent[s] the pieces with outdoor paints and metal .”
Another fascinating technique is to incorporate hand-carved elements in the natural, unfinished surface of driftwood.
Debra Bernier, of Shaping Spirit, from Vancouver Island British Columbia, “creates spiritual sculptures from nature, reflecting on the journey we all share”. Bernier is quoted in the article Fantastical Figures Emerge from Hand-Carved Pieces of Found Driftwood as saying “I’m enchanted with how each piece of driftwood is different. … There are many influences that shape a piece of driftwood; weather, water, sand, bugs, rocks, even the moon and its effects on the tide play a part in its formation. … When I work on a piece of wood in my studio, I think of this journey and how I can give it a final chapter as a work of art.”
Jen, of Barefoot and Bone Idol, from West Wales carves charming figures from driftwood. She adds details with pyrography and often highlights with gold. And she introduces her figures with the quirkiest captions. This piece, titled Alice, is a case in point. The Instagram caption reads “Meet Alice. Alice runs an Anarchist meme page and lives off a diet of french toast & irony. Her second book ’10 appetisers to make from Billionaires’ will be out soon. Alice once accidentally swore in an episode of Blue Planet and re-lives it in her head at least once a day. If Alice had to describe herself in one word it would be ‘has difficulty following instructions’”.
Artists and makers sometimes combine carefully selected pieces of driftwood with other materials.
The Fabulous Doreen, a wire and driftwood sculpture created by driftwood artist Tanya Bub of Victoria Drifter, is a great example. Bub is an eco-artist from Victoria British Columbia, “who creates sculptures of animals and people from found wood and recycled materials … Her pieces borrow energy from the elements out of which they are comprised … [for instance] the life force in a piece of driftwood whose history and struggles are tangible in its tortuous twists and curves …”
Driftwood pieces are a natural addition to hand-woven baskets―especially as carrying handles. This beautiful willow basket was created by Jo Porter of Bardsey Willow and Wool in the Llŷn Peninsula, Wales.
I raved about this gorgeous macrame wall hanging, made by Nova Scotian artist Megan Dauphinee, in my last post Catch My Drift. I love the curvy driftwood hanger and the way the design mimics those organic lines.
Flat lays are thoughtfully assembled arrangements laid out on a flat surface and photographed from above. I’ve been following several talented artists who specialize in marine themed flat lays―their elaborate arrangements often include pieces of driftwood.
Ramona Maywood, from Northern England, creates gorgeous flat lays with treasures from the sea. Maywood explains “all my coastal pictures are created with items I have carefully collected through beach combing on beaches throughout the UK … With my art I aim to reflect the special beauty of the coast and share my deep love of the shore. Every piece I create is unique.”
Christine Rogers, of The Salty Junk Studio in New Brunswick Canada, is another marine-themed artist I’ve followed for some time. I love the found object flay lays she shares on Instagram. This one includes a collection of driftwood knot holes.
Artists Andy and Helen Mortley beachcomb and create on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. This is one of their splendid flat lays.
Land art, which goes by a number of different names including earth art, environmental art, environmental sculpture, nature art, earthworks and ephemeral art, was the topic of a previous blog post. In Making Art with Nature in Nature, I shared that land art is created in a natural environment using rocks, plants, water, soil and other natural materials found on site and that photographs of the artwork become the only lasting record. Driftwood fits into this scenario perfectly.
Ieva Slare & Dzintars Slars, of Beach4Art, create beautiful designs with materials, including driftwood, found on the beach in Devon England. This piece is titled Flower Crown.
Based in Wales, Jon Foreman of Sculpt the World, creates spectacular land art often using only stones and sand. Occasionally, he includes driftwood as can be seen in this incredible piece titled Cognatus.
The irregular and unique forms often found in driftwood are ideal for creating quirky and fun folk art.
Kirsty Elson is a driftwood artist living in Cornwall, UK. She writes “Over the last twenty years, I’ve been scouring the local beaches for washed up ‘treasure’ to work with … recently my work has changed direction and I’m having a wonderful time making quirky animals and birds.” Here’s one of her delightfully quirky pieces titled Barry.
Another option is to paint the driftwood pieces. This joyful wreath was created by Nova Scotian artist Adrienne Dean.
Speaking of painted driftwood, these brightly colored fish were totally unexpected along the Bear Cove Road walking trail in Nova Scotia.
Here are a few more quirky fish to finish out the driftwood art roundup.
More Info
Previous blog posts mentioned in this blog post include:
. Catch My Drift
. Making Art with Nature in Nature.
The following driftwood artists and makers are mentioned in this blog post:
. Mike Batten of Topsail Driftwood – see more on Instagram
. Alex Witcombe of Drifted Creations – see more on Instagram
. Jeffro Uitto – see more on Instagram or his website
. Bonnie Jane Major or Bonnie Jane Design – see more on Instagram or her website
. Tatjana Kozlova of Driftwood Lab – see more on Instagram
. Marc Bourlier – see more on Instagram
. Jerry Walsh Artisan – see more on Instagram or his website
. Debra Bernier of Shaping Spirit – see more on Instagram or in the article Fantastical Figures Emerge from Hand-Carved Pieces of Found Driftwood
. Jen of Barefoot and Bone Idol – see more on Instagram
. Tanya Bub of Victoria Drifter – see more on Instagram or her website
. Jo Porter of Bardsey Willow and Wool – see more on Instagram or her website
. Megan Dauphinee – see more on Instagram or her blog
. Ramona Maywood – see more on Instagram
. Christine Rogers of The Salty Junk Studio – see more on Instagram
. Andy and Helen Mortley – see more on Instagram
. Ieva Slare & Dzintars Slars of Beach4Art – see more on Instagram
. Jon Foreman of Sculpt the World – see more on Instagram
. Kirsty Elson – see more on Instagram or her website
. Adrienne Dean Art – see more on Instagram.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Many artists and makers draw inspiration from the unique qualities of driftwood.
2. “Jeffro’s art supply store is the mouths of rivers and coastlines … where nature’s leftovers get a second chance at stardom”. Jeffro Uitto website
3. “I’m enchanted with how each piece of driftwood is different. … When I work on a piece of wood in my studio, I think of this journey and how I can give it a final chapter as a work of art.” Debra Bernier
Comments are closed.