Colorado Maple

This Colorado Maple really tells a story - you can see why it fought me during the hollowing process with all that character and movement in the wood. The contrast between the natural grain and figure of the maple against the black epoxy is dramatic and really highlights the wood's natural beauty.

The deer antler inlay is a perfect Colorado touch - it ties the whole piece to its place of origin. Using both epoxy and Milliput to fill each crack and void.

The fact that this one made me top 10 after all that struggle says a lot. Sometimes the pieces that challenge us the most end up being the most rewarding. The base has incredible movement and flow - was this a particularly large section of the tree, maybe where it was dealing with stress or damage that created all that figure?