There is nothing quite like the hunt and discovery of great pieces of weathered wood panel. they provide great starting points when it comes to surface characteristics and can be used for anything from painting to sculpture/ reliefs and even using them as a palette. And heck, it's even keeping something out of the landfill. My favorite tend to be cannibalized old hardwood teachers desks (drawer bottoms are great) and old cabinets, cupboards. the more scarred and weathered the better.