Abuelita

Abuelita means little grandmother in Spanish.

The grandmother is bronze. The baby is polished alabaster stone and the base is natural alabaster stone. The baby and base were fabricated first. Because, according to my instructor, the design is complex, he suggested separate casting of sections of the sculpture. The skirt, shawl and torso/face of the grandmother are individual sections and fit together. My instructor volunteered to weld the sections together after it was cast but I like the ability to deconstruct it for transport. The baby, when inserted in the shawl, holds the sculpture together.

This was a difficult project because if the bronze warped during casting the shawl and skirt would not fit together. Accordingly, my instructor had me fabricate metal plugs to be inserted into the shawl and skirt in order to help hold the shape. After casting, the plugs had to be removed with special tools and bronze nuggets had to be inserted and pounded to fill the holes. Although the insertion of the plugs did hold the shape, I don't ever want to do that again! The patina is brown with rust highlights.

This piece very happily resides in my parents' home.