Panther Portico and Manatee Benches 

Work in Progress

This photo shows the tops of the two columns with the Ionic capitals, the lintel which spans the columns and the core blocking which will become the Florida panther reclining atop the lintel. 

This photo shows the blocking for the panther ready to be carved. He is made from walnut. You can see the base of the column in the background. The marquetry panels you will see in an upcoming photo will be inset into each of the four sides of this base. 

This photo shows the column at its full height. Sorry it is so dark. I was using flash photography in the hallway.  You can see the fluted sides, and the connections between the sections will have trims. The whole column slips over a steel pier which will be bolted to the floor. The lintel will be bolted to the top end of the pier, sandwiching the capital and holding everything securely in place. This column is 7 feet tall. 

The Ionic capitals to the columns decorated with a raised  field, madrone burl veneer, and panther paw prints.

These are four of the marquetry panels which will decorate the sides of the column bases. The themes are intended to represent fields of learning. 

The pictures show:

1. The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, representing religion, architecture and history. This was the first building with a major dome.
2. A map of Florida showing major cities, a flamingo, a dolphin, and the space shuttle.
3. A dolphin swimming, representing study of oceanography and biology.
4. Various math and physics formulae.

Marquetry pictures are made by cutting and piecing together veneers of various woods to create the design.

These are the next three marquetry panels. They are:

1. A telescope with the constellation Orion
2. A  dinosaur
3. A stack of books

The last panel is a G clef on a music staff, also showing f sharp  designating the key of G. It is done now, but wasn't when I took the photographs.

Believe it or not, this is the blocking that I will carve into the "Connected at the Manatees" bench. You can see a bit of how I have sketched in the bodies. At the time of this photo I had not yet made the legs or added the blocking for the tails. The completed block will be a combination of mortise and tenon joinery, and stack lamination. That is the "additive" process and I hope to anticipate where I will need wood, because once I get to the "subtractive" process I am stuck with it. I can rapidly rough out a shape with a chain saw toothed disc on a bench grinder; then, I switch  to mallet and gouges, then smaller gouges, then rasps, rifflers and knives, then cabinet scrapers and sandpapers. 

Now that you have seen these photos of it half completed you probably would like to take another look at the finished piece.

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