UGH, cheap wood!

[Whittled Thumb]

I carved a little finch sometime back and it was not a bad carving. Painted and detailed nicely, I picked it up yesterday to compare it to a new bird I'm doing and it had a split :I from its wing tip down to its mid breast

Now two things I figure could have caused this.

When I paint I use a mixture of water and pastel powder. Maybe the water did this at some point during my project, though I checked it out a few weeks ago and it never showed this crack

Heat - Gas heat from winter and expansion

Oh and there may be one more culprit......cheap bass from an art store.

Being as it is, how can I fix this problem to keep the bird from ultimately splitting in half

CARVE ON!

[Howie]

I've come across issues with cheap basswood. Also from an art store. The key I've found is to learn the limitations of the wood and how to work WITH it rather than against it.

[Robson Valley]

I think that the problem also helps to make the case for having a "stash" of wood with no particular project(s) in mind. Even if that is no more than a cardboard box somewhere out of the way. I have what used to be a junk corner of the workshop, beyond the end of my bench: 3' x 5' x waist high stack of log pieces and slabs now.
I must not buy any wood.
I must not buy any wood.
I must not buy any wood
Except for the 3" x 6" x 36" piece of basswood, gray with age, under cover for 20+ years and no cracks.