I was assigned to create three "mistakes" by trying new techniques without fear of the outcome. For this failure idea, I had decided to experiment with sculpting wood. I had never done this before, and I thought I'd try it. The seahorse theme was decided after knowing I wanted the other two to be ocean-themed. I had taken some old balsa wood and drawn a profile of a seahorse based on these reference photos and reflected it on the other side. I had decided to try wood burning, another new venture for me. Initially, I had bought it with the tree trunk bases thinking I'd make burned drawings on them, but I thought it could be a terrific way to add detail to the seahorse. Then I surrounded the sculpture with seashells and initially real plants that later had to be replaced with fake ones after they wilted.