There’s a very bittersweet story that goes with this piece.  I found Maria in the portfolio of a friend. When I inquired who this beauty was, he said she lived in my area and could probably use a “diversion” at that time and maybe modeling would help.  A few months earlier, she had suffered a tragedy in her life with the unforeseen death of a loved one.  

Usually, I’ll cast a face separate from everything else, but since Maria’s arms were both up around her head, I thought it would be best to just make one mold. All of my models have a different way to describe what it feels like to be cast, but Maria was the only one who ever shook me. She told me she “felt safe inside the mold, like nothing could harm her. Almost like a fetus in the womb.” When I removed the mold from her, I forced her back into the real world of pain and sorrow.   Its eerie to look at what a peaceful expression she has on her face here. It has a “Peter Pan” quality to the face and hair.