Shannon Cooney was born in Sherbrooke Québec, Canada in 1981. He graduated in 2000 from Stanstead College with prizes in Sociology and Economics. He subsequently went on to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia for two years to study business administration.

On returning home to Québec's Eastern Townships, Shannon decided to pursue his real love — art. As a child he had always been drawing pictures and making small sculptures out of driftwood and, so he decided to continue with this passion.

Admiring a table that his father had made in 1959 from an old water-logged stump — and being an innovator and entrepreneur himself — Shannon decided to make something of his own.

After much research and many hours of hard labour, Shannon's first "Antique Drunkwood"sculpture was completed. He has since gone on to produce many more and to create a whole new art form.

Using Antique Drunkwood, glass, bronze, granite, bone, imagination and creativity, Shannon is able to create one of a kind works of art. His sculptures capture the spirit of these hidden treasures; you only need to run your hands over one of his works to feel the life in it. The texture, complex and idiosyncratic shapes, and intricacy of the wood give it its own vibrancy— an energy that Shannon has reclaimed.

Shannon's Antique Drunkwood Creations have been exhibited at Molini South in the Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA), Dania Beach, Florida. Photographs have been shown at Carrazza Gallery in Bahia Mar Yachting Center and YK Yacht Design in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Shannon also exhibits his new works annually at the Elephant Barn during the Festival of Arts of Georgeville and Fitch Bay, Québec.

Antique Drunkwood is wood salvaged from the depths of the lakes and rivers of the Eastern Townships of Québec. While similar to recovered sunken logs, "drunkwood" is a term Shannon gave to the wood he uses in his creations.

This wood has been under water for 100 years or more and has become completely saturated. In Shannon's words, "It's not unlike a person who has been on a very long drinking spree and needs to dry out." The recovered pieces of drunkwood he uses, primarily tree roots and lower stumps, are considered to be highly "disfigured"and useless in terms of lumber. For him, however, they have their own inherent beauty and character.

These roots and stumps are the remains of the virgin old-growth timber was consigned to river or lake bottoms either by the hand of nature or by humans. Having sunk to the bottom and lain there undisturbed for many years, they have become "seasoned" in a unique way and have undergone a secondary transformation — almost a metamorphosis. Originally the trees from which this wood comes were grown under a thick canopy of evergreen trees and thus competed for limited nutrients and sunlight in dense forests. Virgin hardwood species matured slowly, accumulating up to 40 to 60 annual rings per inch. These environmental conditions resulted in the development of a finely grained, highly figured hardwood of exceptional quality and beauty not found in today's lumber. Drunkwood is also time encapsulated; as an artist, Shannon strives to allow the layers to emerge and this timelessness is part of the beauty of the metamorphosis he perpetuates.

Each of his Antique Drunkwood Creations takes a tremendous amount of time and work, starting with long days of diving along the lake and river bottoms in the very cold water of the Eastern Townships in order to find the perfect pieces. The salvaged drunkwood is then raised to the surface and taken by barge to a loading site. It is placed on a trailer to be delivered to a storage shed where it sits for a minimum of two years to dry out. When it is dry the real work begins. Using water, sand, and fire (depending on the characteristics of the wood), Shannon's creative and restorative work begins. Once the piece is fully cleaned, the intense sanding process begins, and does not stop until a fine finish is obtained. This can take up to 200 hours of sanding; a gradual, patient, and loving process. Next, the wood is sealed with a special finish that Shannon formulates himself. When the piece is "cured," it is then polished for many hours until, as Shannon says, "I can feel the energy flowing once again. That's when I know this stage of my creation is finished."

Much thought is then put into creating an innovative method of supporting and balancing the piece so that the sculpture and base become one. Every sculpture is pushed to its limits to become one of a kind. With their new life, Shannon's creations will be exposed to new atmospheric conditions such as light, weathering and gravity so there is a three-month waiting period to make sure no imperfections appear.

The final Antique Drunkwood Creation becomes once again encapsulated in time, now for all to see.

For more information or to contact Shannon, write to him at:

Shannon Cooney, Antique Drunkwood Creations, Box 391 Derby, Vt. 05829, (819) 876-1508/ (819) 578-0464. You can also email him at a18santo@hotmail.com