My research directed me to focus on the craft of trees of life and the intricate designs of Talavera pottery. Making a mould of a very intricate tree of life proved to be hard and making a successful cast from that mould proved to be even harder. The mould itself had to be shaven down and become less detailed, making it look different from the original model I had made. In order to make up time from the many failed casts, I opted to glaze my tree of life with simplified colors to further emphasize the connection to the Talavera face plate I had printed. The Talavera design on the face plate also had to be simplified, as I had difficulties finding a way to recreate a colorful design. With this decision, I had let go of the vibrant and traditional colors that are very prominent in Mexican pottery for both pieces. The task of creating a successful casted piece became a huge trial-and-error process that demanded more technique and time than I had anticipated. I wondered if I was too ambitious with the mould, but I learned how to make the cast successful several times without being so time-consuming..

Considering the community that my monument would be placed in, as someone who is not a part of that community, was the main aspect that shaped my monument’s idea. I wanted to create this monument knowing other people could relate to the core meaning even if it was personal to me. This piece reflects on the feeling of moving to a completely new country and doing the best to make this space feel like home. I wanted to speak about how London has become a home to not only myself but to so many other people who have moved here for a new chapter in their life. When thinking about it’s placement, I knew that this piece had to be in Hyde Park and that it’s composition had to work well with its surroundings. During my site visit, I took notice of what current sculptures and monuments existed in the park, as well as past and temporary pieces that I found on Google. I thought about creating a water fountain, which later turned into a wishing well to further emphasize the hopes and dreams that a community can have as a whole and as an individual.