Grizzly bears can grow up to nearly 10 feet tall and five feet wide, and can weigh up to 1,500 pounds.

Darby Caso’s ’14 bear is nearly as big, but weighs almost nothing and is made out of plastic. The bear, when it lies on its side, spans about nine feet in length and four feet wide. She made the bear for her 3D Art class taught by visual arts teacher Dylan Palmer.

To create the bear, Caso started by cutting up the plastic into different parts of the bear.

Then, she heated up the edges of the plastic and melted the parts together, “sort of like sewing it,” she said. To keep the bear inflated, she had a pump constantly running.

The bear went on display Tuesday at the Senior Art Show in the Feldman-Horn Gallery.

The show was held for seniors to display their favorite pieces of art they made.

Caso first got the idea for the bear last year.

“Last year we were experimenting with shapes so I wanted to do it again for 3D art,” Caso said. “My first project was a tank which was ironic because it’s something that people fear, but the materials and look make it seem playful or like a child’s toy. My bear is also ironic like that since it’s a huge bear but it looks like a giant teddy bear.”

The tank she made is about four feet in length and was also on display.

The tank took her about one and a half months, and the bear took her two and a half months.

Caso finished the bear a month ago, but still uses plastic in her art.

In the last month, she finished a curtain made out of plastic strips to decorate a doorway, which was also on display in the gallery.

At home, she also found a bike wheel and is using string in between the spokes to make a design on the wheel.