I cut out the pattern for this piece two or three years ago. Then it sat on a shelf, mocking me. I had originally planned to carve it with knives and gouges, but that mesquite is just so dang hard that I gave up on the idea after a couple of tries.

This was a bit of an ambitious project for me because I created my own pattern by downloading pictures of real armadillos, drawing an outline, and then cutting it out. It’s also a little larger than most of my carvings: measuring about 8 inches long (including the tail), 3.5 inches tall, and 2 inches wide.

The tail is a little thicker than it should be, but I was a little worried about it breaking.

My only real disappointment with the piece is the legs, which I should have either detailed, or made more stylized. As they are, they kind of detract from the rest of the piece.

I met the primary goal, though: make an armadillo-shaped carving that shows off the beauty of the mesquite.