"The Masai Giraffe" - Santa Barbara Zoo Series

Private Commission

Birch and Wenge - 5 layers - 75 Pieces

24” x 18”

The Masai Giraffe was an exciting project to jump into. The particular challenges on this project were the multiple spots on the neck and face and the many subtle color changes throughout the body and fur of the giraffe. To really focus on the things that make the giraffe so recognizable I decided to use a zoomed in profile view of the neck and face in order to bring detail to the giraffe’s unique markings, hair, and facial features.

From the tiny pieces representing the features of the giraffe’s face to the individually hand crafted spots inlayed in the neck and face, the level of detail in the project is the highest I’ve ever attempted! 45 tiny spots, and a total of about 75 pieces in this project came together to create my version of the Masai Giraffe. To complete the design I decided to add some layers of grassland leading up to one of Africa’s most prominent landmarks; Mt. Kilimanjaro!

To finally bring the Giraffe to life I had to come up with a very complex color scheme. There are so many subtle shades of brown and gold throughout the body of this animal so I needed to layer shades of amber and yellow, with light and dark browns to get a realistic look. I created over 14 different color combinations for this project and I think the end result is a beautiful representation of the markings and colors found on the Masai Giraffe.

Finally a frame made of a medium brown African Wenge hardwood was created to tie all of the colors of this project together and provide a touch of the Giraffe’s country of origin to the project!