Driftwood | Merike Sein Art

Driftwood/drift lumber sculpture

Moving to the seaside meant beach combing, and discovered a place where the sea gave up drift lumber (man-made wooden items) that had housed shipworms (Teredinidae). They are molluscs which use their shell to burrow along the grain of the wood creating striking formations. Some smaller pieces have had gribble infestation which is like a woodlouse and feeds on wood and person made structures in the sea, such as pier legs. Driftwood is usually from trees but because of wave action and erosion, sometimes not easy to determine their origin.

As an alternative to mounting them on a concrete base the wood can be lifted off, put on separate metal rods and placed in the garden, not only as a sculpture, but a hide away for insects.