I have always used stone in my art historically, from the beginning with limestone sculptures to the more recent canvas pieces with different types and colors of crushed stone. There is something about the natural aspect of the stone as well as the permanence. I enjoy using the natural colors to create combinations that work well with different oil paint colors. I thought recently of what other natural materials I could use, especially ones that come from the places I appreciate and driftwood from Lake Michigan came to mind. I have thought about ways to use driftwood for sculptures in the past but had never thought of using it on canvas.
At first, I tried smashing pieces of dried driftwood with the same method I used for stones, but it simply flattened out and would not splinter or shred as required to get to the correct consistency to apply to a canvas. I then moved to trying to shred the wood in a blender which worked perfectly. The sticks have to be broken and the blender can only handle a few at a time but it quickly shreds the wood into a mixed consistency. Similar to crushed stones, I then sift the wood into three different sizes with the smallest size just a dust and the largest size as shredded pieces less than half an inch in length.
Using the same commercial grade glue process that works with stones, I do the same for attaching the wood to an oil base on canvas. The largest pieces go on first and create a base layer that covers as much as possible. Next the medium pieces fill in between the large pieces, and finally the dust is sprinkled over the entire wood area. I use a pressing process to secure as much as possible. Once the glue dries, I flip the entire canvas to see how much of the wood comes off and typically repeat it two or three times to get a secure base of wood. The result is a combination of natural, yet contemporary.
