Some projects are more involved than others, this was one of those. Partly because of the nature of creating a memorial for a life taken too soon, and partly because, as any sculptor will testify, portrait reliefs are about as challenging as you can get.

 

To create a celebratory memorial that reflects Sofia's vibrant nature, inspiration was drawn from a collection of her illustrations and from theatre posters that she and her family enjoyed. Kilkenny Limestone was selected because it lends itself to creating a beautifully high contrast depending on how the stone is tooled or polished. It also gives a warmer finish than granite. 

 

Her portrait was first sculpted in soft wax, and cast in plaster before being carved in marble. 

The challenge of carving a relief is that it requires creating a balance between foreshortening and careful manipulation of the shadows . The foreshortening that creates the illusion of depth has a whole new set of rules when you apply shadow that is created by the actual depth of a relief. It is a challenging dance that when done right will produce a likeness that continually, fluidly changes with the light giving the portrait more movement than an full portrait or a drawing.​​​​​​​​​​​​