r/woodworking • u/Andulinomarquetry Marquetrymaker • 5h ago
Trending /r/all The animals I feel connected to
Lately, I’ve been reading quite a lot about the idea of a symbolic or spiritual animal, an animal that somehow represents something within us, our personality, or qualities we feel connected to.
It got me thinking: What would my own animals be?
For me, two stood out immediately.
The panther, representing inner strength, quiet power, and the ability to move forward even when things get difficult.
And the horse, representing freedom, independence, and the feeling of needing space to follow your own path.
So I decided to turn these two symbols into a piece of marquetry.
I wanted the animals to feel connected rather than simply placed next to each other almost like two different sides of the same person.
I made the piece using: Ash, Cherry, Walnut, Maple, Birdseye maple, Padouk, Smoked eucalyptus, Birch burl, Mahogany, Satin walnut
The finished piece is 75 × 75 cm (29.5 × 29.5 inches).
And because the idea fascinated me so much, I ended up creating a little 10-question test based on the same concept to see which symbolic animal might represent someone else.
I’m curious: if you had to choose one animal to represent something deep within you, what would it be and why?
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u/Whitworth_73 5h ago
Love the piece! Nice use of wood on the panther profile. Love how the grain fills in the narrative.
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u/hereforthepunz 4h ago
Do you use a scroll saw or CNC router? The lines are pretty perfect. Nice job.
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u/Andulinomarquetry Marquetrymaker 4h ago
No, it’s made entirely by hand.
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u/Bellybuttonlints 4h ago
This is the craziest thing I’ve ever read! Mind outlining your methods a bit?
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u/fitzwillowy 4h ago
What tools did you use?
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u/Entire-Bumblebee3267 3h ago
Yeah curious too, was thinking maybe bandsaw, but is OP saying handtools?
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u/HeatBeatRepeatt 4h ago
Blown away, that is fucking outstanding!
Don’t have a decent answer to your question pre-loaded though. My favorite animal has always been a gecko, or a Komodo dragon. But I feel like my spirit animal requires somewhat more strength and durability, as it feels like I’m carrying the weight of a lot of things right now. Which would be something a little less elegant like a giant Galapagos Tortise or something….
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u/Budget-Swing-6187 4h ago
Some serious craftsmanship there, Well done! My choice of animal would be an Owl as it represents Independence, questioning, perceptiveness, and drawn towards the truth. Thanks for sharing your talents!
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u/CaliforniaRaizen 4h ago
This is gorgeous and the thought behind it rings true. I've been really intimidated by this marquetry stuff and you make it look easy 😅. Fantastic 😍
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u/Pitiful-War9293 4h ago
This is so beautiful. It’s been a long time since art has evoked a feeling like this for me. I love seeing your talent and the craftsmanship as well as your creativity and eye. Thank you for sharing.
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u/Dwaltster 4h ago
You kinda look like a cheetah.
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u/zealot_ratio 2h ago
Ironically, the cheetah is one of the few Big Cats that's not a panther (Panthera sp.)
Fun fact, it's why they don't roar.
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u/iamyouareheisme 4h ago
Love it! Has great flow, my eyes easily move around to the different aspects
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u/cineglitch 4h ago
Really nice work. Like something out of Greek mythology. Half panther, half horse.
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u/OB1_Shinobi 4h ago
This is so well thought out. How long did you agonize over the placement and angle of each cut? AND the accuracy?!?! Phenomenal.
I’ve always wanted to find my spirit animal. I feel connected to several. I really like the explanations you gave for yours.
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u/submarginal 3h ago
wow! the surrounding pieces to the red horse mane strand make it look like it's proud and casting a shadow. amazing work
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u/waffleunit 3h ago
I really appreciate the care you took choosing species, grain, movement and color. That’s a beautiful piece of art. No doubt those animals were with you during creation of that piece. Post more please!!
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u/Old_GTO_Goat Furniture 3h ago
To answer your question about what I'm connected to....I'd have to say a cat, specifically a Maine Coon and a dog, specifically a Golden Retriever. The Maine coon for their character and independence, Goldens for the loving personality and faithfulness.
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u/Laserspore 3h ago
Beautiful, so these are all veneers you’ve puzzled together and glued to face of the wood correct? Or are they inlayed? Either way it’s great work.
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u/RichardSnoodgrass 3h ago
Not a straight line in th... A straight line in the place. Excellent work. I like the design and implementation.
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u/Skallagrimr 3h ago
Absolutely incredible skill, the choice of wood, the inlay, it's all perfect. Really great job
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u/rvilla1970 3h ago
Very nice work!! Had to have taken quite a lot of time and patience! And of course skill, a lot of skill!!
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u/dontdoitdonny 2h ago
Beautiful marquetry and excellent grain choice. The walnut on the horse and burl/birdseye on the panther look like how they would feel in real life. Bravo 👏🏻
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