Desert Ironwood Sculpture - No. 3

Having enjoyed working & polishing one piece of Ironwood, I set out to find more pieces & to see what I could discover within them. This is the second of a three piece set. Desert Ironwood (Olneya tesota) is, as it's name implies, extremely hard & heavy. I wasn't sure what would come out once I began working it but eventually settled on something which highlighted it's smooth heartwood. This piece had been cut with a chainsaw & and left very rough. I did eventually find some deep, rich bits of figure & curl. The back was left as it came; dry, gray, & weathered by the desert sun. Hours & days of sanding, polishing, & buffing brought out the natural lustre for which this material is known. To make the color pop a bit more I added a thin layer of beeswax & buffed it some more; no finish was used. It can be viewed or displayed either upright with the arms up, or on it's back. Wood is Art. 12 1/2 high 8 1/2 wide 4 deep Shipped weight ~6 lbs. Desert Ironwood Sculpture - No. 3