This replica of a desert tortoise was one of my first attempts at expressing the shell plate development, utilizing what I call  negative contrast. When I started this piece, I knew it had a rather large natural crack in the wood, which I decided to incorporate into the piece as a natural character aspect of the wood. It is interesting to note when this piece was locally on display however, many of the viewers considered the crack as a flaw, and consequently was complained about and taken off display. Regardless, it is still one of my favorites.