Center of Attention

Even the top of a root system can become a beautiful centerpiece. After many hours of cleaning and sanding the arms of the driftwood Dave produced this Center of Attention with a handmade glass bowl on it. Sitting solidly on a piece of slate, this is going to grace someones table exquisitely. We took it to Art in the Park here in Powell River(www.discoverpowellriver.com) , a day for artists to show off their wares and it sold as soon as it was set on the table.

Dave spent the rest of the day working on the Mammoth Table and plans on having it done in time for the Xmas craft fairs. Thomas Eakins says of artists "The Big artist keeps an eye on nature and steals her tools." We certainly are doing that as we enhance what would have been left on the beaches to rot or be used for fire wood.

...the saga of Dave and his driftwood to be continued.......

Shaping the Mammoth

The shaping of the Mammoth table has begun. Even in its rough state already the rugged beauty is standing out. It sits about 30" high on temporary blocks but will be on decorative roots, is 42" long and at its widest point is 32".
This is going to be an amazing deck table!

Mammoth Table

Our "Curly Burl" table sold the first time we took it to a fair. After sitting on our display table all day, it found new owners as we were packing up. A lady came up, talked to us about it, went away to think about it and came back one minute later having fallen in love with it. So another picture in the album has "gone to a good home" written across it.

Even as I put the stickers on the pictures they brought back memories as to where we were when each one sold. Our driftwood has sold all across Canada and back. Guess you could say that little bits of Powell River are gracing homes everywhere.

Now we have a whole collection of new pieces to work on from little burls, to knotted Arbutus branches, to roots and this mammoth piece Dave hauled off the beach across from our cabin. You can see how big it is standing in front of Dave. He literally lifted it end over end down the beach to sit across the bow of our 12' boat. Then had to strong arm it up over the boulders on our beach and up the bank to the cabin....and he wonders why his back is sore?

We will put 2 small root systems under it so it lays flat as a table, plane the top , clean it up and oil it to create another work of art.This one will take much longer to complete. Presently he is working on a smaller piece to sit on a table top with a glass bowl on it....will post a picture of it when its done.

And so the pleasure of finding these treasures continues, along with the fun and work of producing incredible pieces of useful art forms.

Curly Burl Table

The Curly Burl Table is finished in all its splendor. The swirl of dished glass fits around the burl and the oiled wood grain has popped out giving it the look of a rich painting. Many hours of sanding and finishing with Danish Oil make this unique burl an extraordinary piece of art. At 18" high and 30" wide and 18" deep it makes a beautiful foyer table for $225 plus shipping.
It was so much fun to make.

There was a burl with a curl...

"There once was a burl with a curl and when it was bad it was".....Isn't that the way the song goes? Well just look at these 2 pictures of the burl we found on the beach over from our cabin. Now, taking driftwood from the ocean beaches goes against our grain..no pun intended. We really prefer the wood from the lakes. It's smoother and harder and less beaten up by the oceans tantrums.But this one sitting so proud on a downed log just begged to be taken home.

This was one of those rare days when we packed the chain saw in our 12ft aluminum boat just in case we'd find a treasure and it paid off. As I speak, Dave is cleaning the burl with the curl to sell as a little table. We bought a glass swirl(hard to describe) for its top. Its going to look stunning when it's done. Watch for the finished product in the next couple days.

Creating art out of natures driftwood is a never ending wonder for us. Nature has done the hard part in its creations and we simply enhance what we are given. There is an energy coming from wood that almost is soothing and empowering. We've seen people just stand there with their hands on a piece of wood with this far away look in their eyes. Is it the tactile or is it something deeper than that?
Whatever it is we never tire of finding yet another wooden treasure.

Our Harry Potter table sold and the 7 foot high sign post sold and is going to its new home in Comox on Vancouver Island. We sold pieces to visitors from across Canada at Loggers Sports, so I guess our wood is traveling even if we're not.
Keep smiling.

Burl Dave cut from a beach log 

Burl prepares to meet its maker