I wanted to make a really complex marquetry picture with lots of detail. I had done many birds previously and thought they made an excellent subject.
For this piece I wanted to put the picture at a height where it could easily be appreciated. Essentially the cabinet became a frame for the picture.
There are two adult birds and three newly hatched babies. I wanted the nest and the leaves to be dense enough that the birds would be disguised, as they might be in nature. The hardest part was constructing the nest which required lots of pieces. The baby birds were fun to do with their big mouths and downy feathers.
The basic veneer for the cabinet is madrone burl. The solid wood is ebonized cherry.