Driftwood Sculpture With Polished Array

The process for making a unique driftwood sculpture begins with the search for the right piece of wood. We find our wood by searching remote sections of rivers in Eastern North Carolina, often pulling them off the bottom. When we retrieve them, mud, mussels, algae, barnacles and even other debris often cover the driftwood. The clean-up process is intensive and meticulous to ensure as much of the barnacles and distinguishing features remain undamaged. We also work hard to not damage the surface of the wood by putting marks on the surface that can be very difficult to remove.

Next the wood has to dry during which it can shrink and crack. At this point we finally get to see just how good of a piece of wood we have to work with. Any barnacles that remain on the driftwood are naturally occurring – we don’t glue them on the driftwood. Plenty of hand sanding using small specialty tools helps hone the driftwood piece to a more polished state. Not ever piece of wood receives the same treatment. Some lend themselves to a more polished piece with more sheen to the finish, while some lean toward a more satin or flat finish. Either way, the wood is sealed, and gets custom made wall mounts to hold the driftwood sculpture suspended off the wall.

After all that, we are ready to select the fish (if any) that will accentuate the driftwood sculpture. This piece received an abundant amount of copper lookdowns, pasted minnows, and polished stainless baitfish. We design, cut, weld and hand finish every fish. Approximately 200 fish were prepared for this piece out of which we chose and positioned the ones you see on the sculpture.