Driftwood sculptors’ show returns to Nature Center
Published 3:30 am Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Driftwood art can be made by anyone, say members of the Olympic Driftwood Sculptors.
Rick Hill, a club member since 2011, said he doesn’t consider himself an artist but he’s drawn to driftwood art.
“If I were just trying to draw a picture, there’s no way I could do that, but with this, the wood takes you where it wants to go,” he said.
Club instructor Tuttie Peetz said she tells people often you don’t have to naturally be an artist.
“Anybody can learn the technique, and for some people, it’s just fun,” she said. “For me, it’s creative, and I probably am an artist to some extent, and some people come for the social.”
Peetz and others established the club in 2008 using “found” wood from clear cuts, beaches, forests, and other areas to create meticulous works of art.
The club’s 30 artists will present at least 80 original pieces at their free, annual Driftwood Art Show from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 16, and noon-4 p.m. Sunday, May 17 in the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road in Sequim.
Photographers are welcome. There will also be demonstrations and a Driftwood Boutique inside, and raw wood outside for sale that both support the club’s annual college scholarships for local students going into the arts.
Peetz said some people buy the wood for yard art while others might buy it to make art. Club members all contribute to the sale and seek out wood for personal and club use.
Marc McBride, a club member since 2010, said he might look through a thousand pieces before choosing one he wants to use. For his latest piece, he found the wood, an intersected piece of wood shaped like the infinity sign, on a beach north of Everett.
“It looked interesting, and I grabbed it, but I didn’t even know what I had,” McBride said.
“Nobody can figure out why this piece has no beginning and no end.”
Peetz said it can be challenging to find good wood for sculptures, but people also tend to have expectations that driftwood must come from a beach.
“This found wood could be from anywhere,” she said.
Some of her favorite pieces have come out of old clear cuts.
Hill said as you explore more, your experience grows and you become more discerning of what will work best.
Peetz said through her years in the art form, she’s learned that there are no limits to what you can do.
“Each piece is completely different, and it’s almost like people in that every piece has a different personality and you go by how it speaks to you,” she said.
Working on multiple pieces at the same time is common, club members said, and patience can be needed as some people have meticulously worked on some pieces for years.
While the wood can be forgiving if there’s a mistake or happy accident, such as a limb breaking, McBride joked that if you’re unhappy, you can always burn it to heat your house, which he said he’s done with a few pieces.
When a project is coming to a close, Peetz said when to stop is an individual decision.
“It’s supposed to be fun,” she said. “If you’re satisfied with it and it was fun, that’s what’s important.”
“At some point, you gotta say good enough,” McBride said.
Join the club
Prior to COVID-19, Peetz said the Olympic Driftwood Sculptors had nearly 100 members.
“We really would like to encourage people to come to a meeting and talk to us and see what’s going on,” she said. “I’ll be starting to offer classes here very soon during the spring and summer.”
Monthly meetings take xxthe first Wednesday of the month at Trinity United Methodist Church. 100 S. Blake Ave. The next meeting is set for June 3.
With questions, contact Peetz via email at trpeetz@gmail.com, by phone 360-683-6860, or via the website olympicdriftwoodsculptors.org.
