Marquetry - Orca Spirit bench

Growing up in British Columbia, studying with fellow Coast Salish artists, and with a craftsman father, I was doomed to a life that thrives on the creative. All kidding aside, while I have made a living at my craft, I don't do it for the money. I love to create. But don't ask me to reproduce something twice. I am bored with repetition and production. 
This is a small hardwood bench with the Orca Spirit design. The Orca is a symbol of family as the pods never separate. The Spirit of the Orca is the representation of our connection to our ancestors. The salmon spirit is also incorporated into the bridge/apron as symbol of the cycle of life.  
I work with over 100 various natural hardwoods, mostly acquired as scraps from cabinet shops and larger veneer shops. On another version of this, with different woods, I burned the legs in a Yakisugi or Shou Sugi Ban style, which is natural wood preservation method used in Japan that creates a finish that lasts for centuries. To me, this is the connection to earth and the eternal nature of that connection.