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After two years of trials and tribulations (not necessarily Covid related), I'm happy to show you the piece that Spider Johnson and I have created for the Texas Furniture Makers Show (happening now through December 17th in Kerrville, Texas). "Nacimiento de la Mariposa", or "Birth of the Butterfly. When we saw this incredible Roble veneer, I realized that if we book-matched 4 leaves, it would look like butterfly wings. Turns out what was very well defined tonally changed dramatically when the finish was applied, but still enough there to move forward. The biggest (of many!) challenges we faced was in making the Monarch Butterfly caterpillars - how to glue up the teeny strips of veneer to the solid wood bodies without breaking them. After many attempts, we finally landed on a great solution.

The sculpted frame of the top and the legs are Cherry.

Veneers used are Roble, Imbuya Burl, Mahogany, Holly, Black and Yellow Dyed Poplar.
Caterpillar "trails" are Gold and Copper leaf.
Catalyzed lacquer finish.
Dimensions: 43" long x 38" wide x 17.5" high

Gallery

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now that is the definition of original wood art.the woods are simply beautiful and i love how you did your edge banding.very creative with the caterpillars too.good luck at the show i think youve got a winner.
 

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Thank you so much, Potts!
 

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Some serious artistry going on!

I'm always inspired by the way we can "see" objects in burls, especially when they are book matched.

Impressed by the size! initial photo made me think a wall hanging, maybe 12" x 12", the table is an excellent way to display the critters.

Caterpillars and trails are a nice addition, but I cringe at the extra time it took for creating these details!

Awesome job!
 

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@Splintergroup - Thank you so much! Yes, the caterpillars were the biggest challenge- NONE of those little pieces are straight lines! I drew from a photograph of an actual caterpillar, and wanted them to look realistic. It was worth the aggravation in the end. : )
 

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This is mind blowing to me! What a beautiful table. The detail is amazing and I love the little caterpillars. The texture on the legs makes me think of a leaf or something they have been munching on. I hope it does well at the show.
 

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Thank you for the kind words, Jerry!
 

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Thank you, Jeff!
 

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Wow!

Super creative and super craftsmanship…

Should draw a crowd…

Excellent!
 

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A little playful, a lot artistic, it's a wonderful piece, and something that would allow people to talk about it, without being rude.

Nice work.
 

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Thank you, Jack!
 

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@therealSteveN - I appreciate your kind words!
 

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very interesting design and the execution is wonderful. The best on the show.
 

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Original, clever, and beautiful. I love the way you played with color and the textures. Well done and definitely a winner.
 

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Great piece. Very creative. Ignoring some of the more obvious features just for a moment, I love the textured legs, probably because it's such a departure from my immediate instincts.
 

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so many artistic features to enjoy - you will surely make your mark at the show
 

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987Ron, swirt, Calmudgeon and recycle1943…Thank you all for your kind words and support! This is such a wonderful community!
 

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What can I add, this is fantastic but then again I have a degree in entomology so I'm a bit biased.
 

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OnhillWW, Thank you! I think you can appreciate the accuracy of the caterpillars! : )
 

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You and Spider certainly outdid yourselves on this piece! I think I would have tried gluing up the caterpillar bodies and carving them. The slime trails are amazing!!!!
I've been following your work since I joined the AMS. I have a lot to learn but I am loving every minute of the journey!

Mike
 
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