During lockdown, Tina Kaul and her daughter, Isabell (8), would take their daily exercise strolling along the banks of the river Rother, between Rye and Camber, often returning home with an interesting piece of driftwood along the way. What started as a bit of fun to fill their garden with curious structures, quickly became an obsession. With Isabell’s eagle eye for spotting even the tiniest bits of nicely formed wood, and Tina’s creative take on upcycling virtually anything, the two discovered a wonderful new passion. Tina has made all sorts of things from the findings, including rustic hanging shelving units using hemp rope and plank-like driftwood, keyrings galore and various sculptures having had the rot lovingly chiselled out, sealed and mounted upon podiums using metal rods.
Tina Kaul said: “I love how each piece of driftwood tells a story. It may have floated all around the world, been part of a tree in Tunisia, or furniture in Finland. Weathered and shaped by endless waves, some totally smooth, some haggard and rot-worn, it’s the most wonderful and inspiring stuff to work with.”
Tina will be showing this unusual collection at Red Door Gallery, alongside other sea-inspired art, from October 28 to November 7. The gallery will be open from Wednesday to Saturday 11am – 3pm. Do pop in and have a browse. There will be plenty of unique stocking fillers and gift ideas with a difference.
Source: Tina Kaul
Image Credits: Tina Kaul .
I can’t wait to visit this Driftwood exhibition at Red Door Gallery next week. I have always loved driftwood, its many shapes sculpted by the sea and now with Tina’s expertise at seeing potential in so many media it takes a new dimension.