Lucile Worlund, founder of Northwest Driftwood Artists in 1963

LuRon^® Method
LuRon is the registered trademark of a method for developing finished wood sculptures from found wood. The method identified by the LuRon mark offers instruction in the choice of natural wood forms, cleaning, design development, finishing and displaying completed sculptures. The goal of the LuRon method is to reveal the inner beauty of the wood itself.

 LuRon artists use their “seeing eye” to recognize the artistic potential in a piece of weathered wood gathered from rivers, mountains, forests, or beaches. Once a piece has been selected, it must be thoroughly scraped to get down to the hard wood where its beautiful grain pattern is revealed. The piece is then shaped to bring out its best artistic features or imagery. When shaping the wood into sculptural form, using basic principles of design, it is the LuRon tradition to make any changes appear to have occurred naturally. Next, the piece is meticulously sanded with several succeeding grit levels. Burnishing with a smooth deer antler to close the cells and bring up the natural color and grain is basic to LuRon.

This technique Mrs. Worlund learned when she lived among Makah Indians in Neah Bay, Washington. A mixture of beeswax and turpentine is applied before or after burnishing. Some choose to add a natural oil in the finishing. The soft, hand-rubbed finish gives a lustrous depth to the wood. Presentation is an important factor: a good base will present the piece in its most favorable attitude, be in good proportion, and complement, yet not overwhelm, the sculpture. A finished LuRon sculpture will be a true original, never to be duplicated. It will be a stunning portrayal of Nature’s unique art.