Big Weird Bird

Written By Sasha Kopf

I’ve been working on multiple pieces the last few months, and as a side project, I made a wall panel entitled Big Weird Bird.

Photograph of a marquetry panel depicting a shoebill. The bird is standing in front of a colorful background that looks sort of like a stained glass window in a cathedral.

The shoebill is a huge wading bird native to central and eastern Africa. Their wingspan is over 7 feet, but they only weigh about 10-12 pounds. If you ever forget what they’re called, you can just search the internet for “big weird bird,” and you’ll find them right away.

Close-up photograph of a marquetry shoebill's head with a halo behind it

I’d been wanting to make a marquetry shoebill for a while. I decided that this would be a good opportunity to use some dyed veneers in the background, which I don’t usually use. I wanted the background to be reminiscent of a stained glass window in a cathedral or a colorful prayer candle. I also did some brass inlay, which was a first for me, and I love the way the shiny metal looks. The frame is made from a small piece of bubinga left over from another project.

Sasha Kopf
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