I finished her with primer and several coats of paints and sealers.

Not enough bronze came through here so I redid some of it, but here

are a couple of pictures so you can see what I am trying to do.

This is my first real baby face. One cheek is

larger than the other. As you can see in the

next pictures, I corrected it. Sure glad this is

not for real!

These are pictures of baby as she is going in the oven for next to the last curing. I had already baked parts of her three times before these last two pictures. I used TLS and Kato Medium to try to get a newborn eggy look. Every time, I had to put the baby in the oven, I had a creepy feeling since she looked so real.

This is the completed baby with wings and in nest. I used some of the moss that miniaturists use to get sort of a soft comfy nest for her. Inside of egg cannot be seen, but I used several coats of TLS and final coat of Kato Sauce to get the shiny egg look inside. Small sculpted bird is perched on the outside of nest.

This is the almost completed woman and baby. She has two additional

coats of a mix of bronze and copper spray paint applied on high spots.

This is the mother bird that I sculpted to put on the shoulder of the woman.

Mother bird is mounted on shoulder.

This is the completed sculpture with part of the broken egg on the base.

Several people have written me and asked how I did at the Arboretum contest. I did not place or get any award. The same criteria were used to judge the Flight of Fancy category as the serious category where special standards had to be followed. We had been told there would be no rules and anything goes for the Flight of Fancy category. I wrote the N&O and voiced my complaint and this year, they changed the guidelines. But I was not too disappointed. When I went to pick up my entry, someone had sprinkled red rose petals in the nest. I saw these as soon as I walked in. We had to wait a few minutes before we could pick it up so we looked at all the other entries. When I returned to pick her up, someone had sprinkled pink rose petals all over the base. So I felt like I had received the best award for the show!

I just took her to an arts and crafts show on April 10. I could write a book of the comments and observations of that were made. I am writing one here for you and I plan on adding others when I get time.

A man and a little boy about four years old came by the booth.  They
stopped to look at the sculptures.  The little boy said matter-of-
factly, "Dad, that is sooooo weird!" pointing to the baby in the
tummy.  His dad knelt down beside him and said, "Tell me why it is
weird."  The little boy replies, "There's a baby in the bird nest!"
The dad proceeded to explain all about the birds and the bees to the
little boy.  He told him, "See, the mother's tummy is just like the
bird's nest and the baby stays there and grows just like a baby bird
stays in the nest until strong enough to fly.  And see the mommy
bird is watching over her baby, too."  They spent about three or
four minutes discussing the bird and babies.  The little boy's eyes
widened with a look of almost instant understanding of all of
creation and said, “Dad, that is SOOO COOL!  That is so cool." 

I would almost bet this little boy will never forget this
sculpture.  It was priceless.

Hope you enjoy seeing the process as much as I loved making her---even with all the

setbacks and accidents! This creative process was like giving birth!

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