Tortuga grande

Translation: Big Turtle. Turtle shell: bronze Head, tail, legs: alabaster stone. I used alabaster on the head, tail, and legs to cut down on the weight and to allow me to move it more easily. The shell simply rests on the head, tail and legs and can be lifted off to transport.
My son likes this sculpture because he puts his CD player on top of the shell when he is hanging out on the patio. I wanted it to be big enough for a small child to sit upon.
This sculpture received a lot of attention in sculpture class because of its size. It required two people to carry it during the entire investment and casting process. Luckily, there are some very nice male students in class who helped me every step of the way. When I started this sculpture, bronze was relatively reasonably priced. But, when it came time to cast it, bronze had sky rocketed. Fortunately, I had lots of left over bronze from the gating in other projects so it was not as costly as it could have been. This sculpture required metal clips on the edges but luckily my instructor did not suggest pins. When the stone deteriorates, as it will [and has] because it is outside and alabaster cracks with moisture, I will make, cast and weld on a new head, tail and legs like the ones I later did for the NM Turtle for Chris.
This sculpture has a brown patina. However, Edison has added a patina of his own. Ammonia will turn bronze green/blue. The Tortuga has become one of Eddie's favorite watering spots. In fact, one side has become quite green. I have turned the Tortuga shell so that the other side can benefit from Eddie's contributing artistic touches.