How I would make the final piece from wood...

If I was to make my design out of wood I would make it like this...

I would make it about 300mm by 450mm and 10mm thick. So first I would get a bit of beach ply at 292mm by 442mm and then I would mark out 10mm thick, where I would be putting the segments, then I would carve down about a millimetre. Then I would cut out the segments to size 40mm high. Then I would fit them tightly into the slots. then i would finally