This piece is an unfinished experiment. I carved the black walnut dolphin last year and had it on a temporary base. Somebody gave me the mahogany dolphin cutout a few weeks ago and after I finished it I was wondering how to display them together. I was considering trying to relief carve some waves when Debra mentioned the possibility of using a piece of bark.

I just happen to have a whole lot of bark from an oak tree . . .

As I said, the piece is unfinished. I’ve sanded and finished the dolphin carvings, but the oak bark is still raw. I’ll have to put something on the bark so that it won’t flake off and deteriorate over time.

I realize that neither of the dolphin carvings is especially good. I goofed on the back of the walnut piece–making it too straight and too thin. And I didn’t round the front of the mahogany dolphin very well. That one’s dorsal fin is too small, too. That’s not my fault. The person who gave me the blank had cut it a bit short.

That said, I rather like the idea of using bark as a substitute ocean surface. What do you think?

Here’s another view, closer up.