How to make random wood art

• Untreated pine in a variety of widths and thicknesses
• 2 x untreated pine 30x10mm @ 1.2m long. These are the back boards.
• 2 x wooden broom handles
• Medium grit sandpaper
• Resene testpot paints in your choice of colours, Fleur used: Resene Surfs Up, Resene Irresistible, Resene St Kilda, Resene Cleopatra, Resene Bowie, Resene Jalapeno, Resene Parsley, Resene Vibe, Resene Dingley, Resene Grass Hopper and Resene Rose Of Sharon
• Set square
• Wood glue

Instructions

Step 1:  Cut your wood to a variety of different lengths. Fleur’s range from 35cm to 40cm long. How long you cut your wood will depend on how big you want your finished piece of art. Fleur also cut 2 wooden broom handles into three lengths. Use sand paper to sand any rough bits smooth. Wipe off all sanding dusts.

Step 2:  Lay your wood out in a random pattern, alternating short ones next to long ones. Once you are happy with your placement, number the backs of them. While your wood is set out, measure the total length. Cut your two back boards to this length.

Step 3:  Paint your bits of wood. Fleur did 2 or 3 of each colour and tried to spread them out so that two similar colours were not next to each other.

Step 4:  Place your two back boards on your work surface and use Blu-Tack to hold them in place, parallel to each other and about 20cm apart.

Step 5:  Glue your first bit of wood to the back boards with wood glue. Make sure you centre it so that there is an even amount of overhang at each end. Use a set square to make sure that you have it sitting straight and perpendicular to your backing boards. Take your time to get this one right and square and wait for it to dry in place before adding the others. If you get this one in place well and firmly held in place, you can put all the other ones on easily and quickly without worrying about any of them moving while the glue still dries.

Step 6:  Continue to glue the other bits of wood in place, making sure that there is an even bit of overhang at either end as you go.

Step 7:  Drill two small screws in the back at either end and tie strong string between them for hanging.

Top tip:  For a beachwashed piece of art, finish all timber in hues from the Resene Colorwood ‘We Speak Beach’ range.

Styling and images by Fleur Thorpe. Sep 2020.