A Triplet of Tables

Here on the west coast of BC, fall signals more time indoors to work on crafts. When he's not creating new beaded jewelry designs in front of a football or hockey game, Dave is creating new driftwood tables. The Mammoth table you saw in the rough is finished and gone to a good home. These shots show both its length and the heavy twisted wood that makes its head.

Since then he's finished a plant holder and a small end table shown here.Working with what nature has created means that Dave's driftwood art is one of a kind. From the moment we discover it on a beach and see its potential through the long and time consuming process of bringing it to its full beauty, there is anticipation of what the next creation reveals.

As I work on this post he is sequestered in the porch cleaning up a large Arbutus branch system(about 6ft.with arms reaching out about 4ft) that is covered in lumps and bumps. When it's sprayed black with gold flecks and mounted on a sturdy burl, it will be a unique West Coast Christmas tree.

This one never drops it needles and can be stored outdoors the rest of the year. Watch for the final picture of this extravagant imaginative "tree."

Petal Power and Mammoths

The creation of new tables goes on with the latest one being "It's A Dog's Life." With ideas running out what to call each one, Dave looked at one of the arms on this one and saw the dogs face so here it is. A simple, but beautiful piece that holds a bowl with shell candles in it. ...cost $220.

The Mammoth Table sold to a lady who fell in love with it in its unfinished state. Here 's Dave working on it at our fall fair as the Mammoth beauty continues its journey to completion.

Another spectacular piece looks like petals of wood that rival the beauty of the flower petals displayed with it. As it sits unfinished "Petal Power" would sell for $40, finished $80.

As our supply of driftwood for tables dwindles, we'll be making another trip to the lakes to salvage yet more treasures.Each time we find a piece that inspires us because of what it represents or has the potential to be a work of art, we are like kids in a candy store...excited and thrilled.

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 

Table with 26 inch glass round, hole in center 

Harry Potter Table 

Top Knot Table

Our topknot table is almost ready to be offered up for sale. After hours of cleaning, sanding and varnishing, it now stands out among our other unfinished roots. Next week the tempered glass round should be here and the picture will be complete...watch for the next installment.

The lakes here continue to be very high as we've had an unseasonably wet month of June. We are looking forward to them dropping some so we have access to more treasures washing ashore.

For those of you fellow Canajuns out there....Happy Canada Day!!! For the rest of our global friends....Happy whatever you celebrate in your country!! Most of all Happy Love of Life as you live it to its fullest!!

Till the next installment of the saga of the topknot table.....keep well and happy.
Barb and Dave

Polished up and waiting for its glass top. 

Our topknot table base. 

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Ideas as Plentiful as the sands of the sea

Our minds are filled with ideas as plentiful as the sands of the sea. Now if only there was as much time, money and energy to make them all happen. The garden and our little trailer park yard keeps Dave occupied and inspires new things to tackle. The peas and beans are up several inches requiring putting up netting.

Then it meant he had to put up ladders over the back fence and straddle his way over it to cut the weeds and grass invading our garden from the other side.It keeps him young!

Never one to just let one thing keep him going, he also has plans for fixing up the rest of the yard and just built a little shed for him to work in. The driftwood is decoratively arranged along the side giving rise to a comment that the tide sure was high....tough trick when you live up on the hill.

When he's not in the garden, or working on driftwood, he's creating more lovely beaded jewelry to sell(and for me to proudly wear).

When I talk to older people that are still healthy and happy I notice that they are very active. They are involved in the community, in their yards and anything else they can squeeze in. If it takes staying involved and active in order to live out our elderly years then that's what we'll be doing.

Hopefully you'll find us at 90 still working on driftwood, or creating some new dream.Life is to be danced with, to suck the juices out of it, to skid into the last stop having used it all up in glorious abandon!!!

Keep them ideas a coming!!
Barb

Like a topknot on a bad hair day, the center of this unique root will craddle a smoked grey plexiglass top making it a one of kind patio table. 

Naturally Sculpted Wood Art

Ever get tired of looking at a sunset? Or the first blooms in spring? Well, that's how we are with driftwood. Each piece is uniquely sculpted by nature. Each piece has its own story to tell, no two are alike, just as each person who looks at the driftwood sees something different.

This giant Dave is standing beside is on the shores of Powell Lake, a man made lake about 30 miles long. In 1909 with a working capital of $1 million, the Powell River Paper Company planned a huge undertaking of damning up what was then the shortest river in the world to produce a hydro-electric generation system to supply their mill. That began the construction of the 25,000 HP dam across the river and the two machine paper mill. Many disasters and hair pulling events later, the first rolls of paper came off #1 machine April 12,1912. That fledgling company went on to be the biggest pulp and paper producer in the world with 9 machines. Today we are about back to the beginning with only 3 machines, yet a thriving town, the "Pearl of the Sunshine Coast."

All that history lesson to tell you that roots like what Dave is standing beside were once all under fresh water for over 70-80 years before they shook themselves free and popped to the surface for artists like us to find.

Hope this gave you a little better understanding of where some of our wood comes from.
Barb and Dave

Picture this specimen in your yard...the wood not the guy! 

Dave polishes up a sign post

Just like the caption says with the picture "A man and his wood will not be parted" Dave was enjoying polishing this post. This sign post isn't even driftwood...Oh horrors ..says Barb, but Dave likes its personality anyway. It's a 7 ft.cedar branch with an arm that appears to have what I would call warts all the way up it, giving it character. ...like the gent lost in the wonderful world of wood!

With the gales behind us Dave celebrates a warm summer day by working on his wood.
Sign posts, blogger posts, all shared with our global community.
Enjoy!!
Barb

A man and his wood will not be parted. 

May Marvels of Wood

On this typical unpredicatable May day, we were enjoying a break in the rain storms and quickly shot some photos of our ever increasing "driftwood garden." Our son has a little truck now, so this pile will grow faster , just like our seedlings in the gardens.

The bigger roots like the one whose arms reach out about 6 ft. would make marvelous landscaping additions. We also carry smaller pieces some of which Barb has used for decorative additions to planter pots.
Powell River area and its surrounding lakes provide us with an endless supply of natures creations. You too could have one of these in your yard just by contacting us.

Cheers!

Dave
"One of a kind wood art."

Stump on its side about 3 ft across, great for a garden. 

A sold swirl of unique grain and movement 

A stand of wooden petals 

A proud specimen. 

6 ft arms across, stands 2 ft high 

Spring has Sprung with Driftwood!

Spring has really sprung with driftwood as plentiful as the dandelions! There are now 4 driftwood junkies in our family all squeezed into a Hyundai Elantra. You guessed it,Elantra's weren't designed to haul driftwood of any size and yet that is what we ask of it everytime we "just" go up the lake to check things out.

This past Saturday was that kind of a day. It looked like the little car would be safe that trip because the lake was so high all the wood was floating off shore...WRONG! Hooked on driftwood,meant getting more creative to fish, hook,plead and risk swimming for the elusive wooden creatures tempting us. By the time we'd been there very long, the trunk was over flowing with wood. By the time we'd had a weinnie roast, there were 2 fire smoked pieces inside the car too. Me thinks we need a bigger vehicle!

All that work paid off in some of the most artistic sculptures we've found in a long while. They will make beautiful garden pieces. One of them resembles a seal complete with eye and nose and now resides in our front yard.

Yes spring has sprung and so have the springs on the poor little car!
Creatively yours,
Dave

From the depths of the lake could it be a monster poking up at us? 

Welcome to Dave and his driftwood!

Welcome to my newest adventure....blogging for driftwood....or is it driftwood for blogs?

I hope by introducing you to where I live, and my driftwood creations, you will get a glimpse into life here. Powell River is the Pearl on the Sunshine Coast of BC. It is rich in spectacular sunsets, culture and endless recreational delights time we go out beachcombing we return home with hearts and pockets are full of treasures.

If you are interested in purchasing driftwood art or anything else we create from our beaches, contact us.
Barb and I love to travel and meet new people, so through this site we hope to add you to our list of global friends.

Cheers,
Dave

When he's not collecting driftwood, Dave's collecting oysters for the BBQ at the cabin.