I was excited to sculpt Claudia because of her classically Medieval Madonna-like qualities. The wideness of her eyes together with her small chin create a lovely oval-ness to her face. It is a beauty that strongly reminded me of wood carvings of the Madonna, such as those by the Medieval artist Tilman Riemenschneider, and of the stylized paintings of pre-Renaissance Madonnas, and angels such as those by Cimabue. In my approach to this work, I admit to being quite taken with historical colorations of sculpture which are reemerging in contemporary sculpture. I am also intrigued with how the addition of costume suggests a historical context. She is completely contemporary, yet rings with history.