Achieving a fluid sense of facial pictorialism at this approximately life-size scale required the seamless blending of stone segments across broad areas while incorporating intricate details, such as those within the eye sockets.
Surrounding the left and right eyes, 46 and 49 individual eyelashes are meticulously rendered in black-lipped mother of pearl. The irises are composed of multiple segments of labradorite, a stone known for its iridescent flashes of color—labradorescence—which shift at particular angles. To enhance this effect, each iris segment was carefully oriented before being traced onto the stone slices, ensuring the optimal interplay of light and color from intended viewing positions.
The clown-white makeup of the face subtly shifts in tone across the forehead and chin, gradually darkening and becoming more mottled as it meets the colors of the eyebrows. White onyx of varying thicknesses and translucencies was applied to the broader areas, while white quartz from Arizona, with subtle hints of blue chrysocolla, was placed just above the vibrantly colored eyebrows. The smears of bold cheek makeup were achieved using mookaite from Australia, an opaque hardstone that presents in a diverse spectrum of colors and hues.