North San Juan sculptors Solomon Bassoff and Domenica Mottarella unveiled their newest public art piece, an 8-foot-long monarch butterfly caterpillar at Davis Central Park, over the weekend.

The whimsical piece, which includes a different shoe and sock on each of the caterpillar's many feet, was commissioned by the city of Davis.

The two artists who make up Faducci Studio were selected for the project based on the quality of their work and their experience creating durable, garden-inspired sculptures in public settings, the artists said.

They consider their work unique for “its infusion of bright color and lifelike textures into hand-sculpted, cement forms,” the artists said.

“The sculpture design was selected to connect to the insects in the garden, but also to make our visitors smile, and I think it really hit the mark,” garden volunteer Emily Griswold told the Woodland Daily Democrat. “We wanted a sculpture that would be kid-friendly, that they could climb on without getting in trouble.”

Bassoff and Mottarella create their works by forming cement around a steel and wire armature.

They permanently color the cement with natural mineral pigments, adding other materials that enhance the cement's strength and frost resistance. Many of their pieces include glass mosaic.

The artists have several other pieces in public places, including a field of sunflowers in Hummingbird Park in Sacramento, a Komodo dragon created for Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, and a series of giant bugs and flowers for Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding.

To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4229.