From Shore to Canvas: Painting on Driftwood

Lately I've been painting on different surfaces other than a canvas. About a month ago my husband and I were up north camping in a state park. Our campsite was mint: we were right on the shore of the bay. My husband took a morning walk and came back with an armful of pieces of driftwood. "I thought you might be able to paint on these pieces of wood," was his explanation. These pieces were all different sizes: some about three feet long, and some only about eight inches long and maybe four or five inches wide, like the one in the picture. The pieces were very damp and/or wet, so we had to lay them out on the grass in the sun. It took quite a while for them to get completely dry, because we had to keep turning them over, like a hotdog over a campfire.

I had never painted on driftwood before, so this whole thing was an experiment. I first noticed that this wood was quite rough, so I used sandpaper to sand it fairly smooth on the side I wanted to paint on. It still had some texture and small pits in the wood, but I liked that because in my opinion it kept its integrity as a piece of driftwood. Next, since the wood came out of the water, I decided to paint a beach scene, using acrylic paint. I also wanted the painted image to reflect the place we were camping in. Then, as an afterthought, I used a liner brush to write the name of the town we were in (my favorite happy place). Once I was done, after the paint was dry I gave it a couple layers of clear coat. In doing this, I not only had fun being creative, but I made my own souvenir that cost me nothing! As you can see from the picture, instead of trying to hang it up I rested it on an inexpensive picture stand (you can get these from the dollar store).

It's fun and challenging to try painting on a surface other than a canvas. Don't get me wrong, I still do paint on canvases. But recently I also painted on a baseball cap, a straw hat, and a cutting board. It's entertaining and a nice diversion from what we're accustomed to.

If you want to, leave a comment about what you think about painting on driftwood. Have you ever done this, or have you tried painting on another unusual surface? I would love to hear about your experiences! God bless!