This free standing sculpture should be a little bit of a challenge. The piece is eight inches tall and cut from 1/2 inch thick wood. I would recommend a closed grain wood to help prevent breaking. The grain of the wood should also run vertical for strength. I used cherry for the one I cut.
I used a #3 scroll reverse blade to reduce the amount of sanding I needed to do. I didn't want to break the piece while sanding so best to keep it to a minimum.