Spring is whale watching season in Bermuda. The humpback whale is famous for their song, which was first recorded right here in Bermuda in the 1950's. Personally, I'm drawn to the symbolism of the whales' migration to warmer climes, to the loving pods in which they travel, and I just had to depict a mama and baby whale duo rather than a single whale. This piece is my ode to the magnificent and gentle creatures who choose to linger and play in Bermuda's waters for weeks as they migrate through.
A delight to design, this mama and baby needed to nestle without being too chunky. I considered a breeching whale shape, twisted tails, and even depictions of water. The curve of these two tucked in together, baby nestled under mama's fin, baby's tail overlapping mama's, brings me immense joy. In this arrangement, it was also very difficult to make them look whale-like rather than dolphin-like. Shapes that looked extremely whale-like also looked droopy and sad, so getting the shape of the beaks right was a challenge. Also, deciding where to put the sand without losing the signature humpback whale texture was a challenge, so I chose to focus the sand in the mama alone, or else the overall piece would need to be a lot larger. I hope you like these design choices!
These two humpbacks are snuggled into a moving embrace. Tiny textured balls glisten on their heads and fins, and tiny stripes line their underbellies. Pink Bermuda sand will go inside the mama's belly, and the bail's placement makes them tilt slightly upward.
Dimensions are 14.4 mm (h) x 27.8 mm (w) / 0.57 in x 1.09 in.