Rockabelly Lifecasts Help Mothers Celebrate Pregnancy With Plaster, Bronze Casts Of Bellies
There are about four million births every year in the United States. For many of the mothers-to-be, celebrating their pregnancy through maternity photos is an integral part to welcoming the psychological and physical changes of pregnancy while also creating memories that they’ll be able to look back on long after their children have moved out of the house. But for two British artists, photos aren’t enough, and they’ve been creating three-dimensional casts of women’s pregnant bellies.
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C.J. Munn and André Masters create the casts out of their studio in Kent, England. They make them out of a number of materials, including bronze, aluminum, copper, and gypsum, which can be hand-painted with poppies or Victorian-era designs, according to the Daily News.
“Pregnant belly casts fascinate adults and children alike, whether you choose to hang yours proudly on the wall, or use it as a fruit bowl or more discrete ornament,” the artists’ website says. “Your belly cast will be a lasting reminder of how your body changed — far more than any photograph or video ever could.”
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The Association for Psychological Science says that pregnancy is a time when women experience more hormonal fluctuations than ever before. These fluctuations can mess with women's emotions and, when paired with bodily changes, they may not feel as confident as they once did, leading to more stress. Maternity photos, for this reason, are a chance to celebrate the positive side of pregnancy, according to Pregnancy Corner.
For women who want to go a step further, casting can be an interesting twist. The process is simple, the artists say on their site. For a low-definition cast, a barrier cream — such as Vaseline — is applied wherever the cast will go, and then warm, wet plaster bandage is used to mask the woman’s belly or full torso. Munn and Masters say that this method is easy enough to be done at home. For bronze, aluminum, or high-definition casts, however, the artists recommend being casted in the studio.