Bee eater

The bee eater was commissioned as a special gift to mark a long standing friendship and as a reminder of a recent holiday.

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The design is derived from the European bee eater that typically nests in Southern Europe and North Africa.  They are making more frequent visits here in the UK, a trend thought to be a consequence of the warming climate.

 

The bee eater was assembled in stages.   Firstly a piece of sycamore was cut, stained and laminated back together to create a solid block of pale timber with bright blue pin stripes running through it.  This was then brought together with the vibrant orange of yew.

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African blackwood was introduced for the beak and stripe to provide the extraordinary contrast.  Finally, the delicate yellow was added to the throat to complete the bee eater.