"The Humboldt Penguin" - Santa Barbara Zoo Series

Private Commission

Birch and Jatoba - 4 layers - 60 pieces

24” x 24”

The little Humboldt Penguin was a super fun project to work on. The most important design features to focus on were the lines of the penguin separating the contrasting black and white markings, the shape and position of the flippers, and the detail in the feet and face that make this animal so undeniably cute! Because there wasn’t a huge amount of detail in the bird itself, I wanted to create a really detailed background for it to stand against!

After creating the initial lines and layers of the body I focused on getting as much detail in the face and feet as I could. I then switched focus to the background layers of the project and created a rocky effect behind the penguin with a view of the ocean as if it was about to jump in for a swim! All together a total of about 60 individual pieces came together to create this project over 4 layers of depth!

The color scheme for this project was about as simple as could be in comparison with some of the others. I used several layers of the white and black colors to get as much of a contrast as possible on the body and features. I then used some beautiful blue, gray, and natural colors to bring life to the ocean, rock, and beach layers. The woodgrain across the layers of this project became very distinct after staining and gave the final project a sense of flow and coordination! I finished this project with a frame of instrument grade Jatoba hardwood that is found in the same region of South America as the Humboldt Penguin!