Portrait Sculpture by Val Gilman
Touching the heart and reflecting the unique presence of a person.

A really great sculptural portrait is something that will affect your life in a deeply positive way for as long as it is with you. It is a reflection not just of what the sitter looks like, but also their character and presence. If it is a portrait of you, it can help you stay in touch with what is important to you over time, and to trust yourself. If it is someone you love, it is a way to keep their presence alive in your life.

Portraits are a great way to commemorate a turning point or important moment in your life and get to know yourself better.

What makes my portraits different from others is that my training is not just in sculpture, but also in deep witnessing. I understand how to connect with the deeper parts of my sitter and to bring a sense of love and compassion to the experience. I often laugh that I always end up in love with my sitter- not in a romantic way, but in the way that you do when you see someone completely and you have deep respect for them.
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Over two or three in-person sittings with you, I will work on the piece and take reference photos. While my hands shape the sculpture, our conversations become part of the piece. This can be a great time of reflection and nonjudgmental, compassionate witnessing in a safe space where you can be truly seen. Past clients have found the portrait process to be deeply nourishing. The finished piece is a sculpture that you can enjoy and display for years to come, imbued with deep personal meaning through this moment in your life.

Process

Expect about a four to six-month turnaround. Throughout the process I will be in touch with you, sending photos and updates.
  • Initial sculpting in clay can take a few months. This includes two or three sittings in person. If you and I need to travel to meet, we can hold these close together for convenience. I’m happy to get feedback from you and make sure you are happy with the piece before moving forward.
  • If your commission is in clay the next step is hollowing out the sculpture and making sure everything is ready to fire the piece in my kiln. 
  • I cast bronze pieces using the lost wax process. When the original clay sculpture, called a pattern,  is complete, I send it to a mold maker who makes a flexible rubber mold over it and a plaster “mother mold” that that holds the rubber mold from being floppy.  This allows me to pour a wax version of the piece, which gets refined and adjusted. When the wax is ready, I send it to the foundry. They make a silica shell  mold around the wax  and then burn the wax out.  Molten bronze is then pour into the mold.  When the metal is cool, they break the silica shell off the bronze sculpture there is some metal clean up to do, grinding of the gates and vents. The surface color is called a patina and is created with chemicals and heat. Finally a layer of wax is applied to seal and protect the surface.

Pricing

Prices vary depending on size and materials. I can give a more exact estimate when we discuss what you would like.

Bust (18-20 inches high)
  • artist fee roughly $10,000- covers the cost of my creating a clay original
Relief (18-20 inches high)
  • artist fee- roughly $ 8,5000
Additional costs
  • mold making in order to create a wax replica to be cast in bronze, or a replica in a different material such as bonded stone, I will work with a mold maker and the bill will be yours- roughly $2-3000.
  • foundry work- this is all aspects of the bronze casting process including making a waste mold, burning out the wax, pouring the bronze, chasing the metal, and applying a patina. I will work with a reputable foundry and the bill will be yours- roughly $3-4000
  • display base $250- $1000 depending on what you want
  • Shipping

After we’ve discussed options and agreed to a plan, a third of the cost (non-refundable) is due up front. The next third is due when you are happy with the portrait and it is ready to be fired or cast. The final third is due upon delivery. The mold making, foundry work and base are all billed by those businesses and paid separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How long does the process take? 
    From the first sitting to a complete bronze bust, you should expect a six to eight month process. From the first sitting to a complete terracotta bust, you can expect 3 months.
  • Can you work from photos? 
    Normally, I take photos during each sitting so that I can continue to work on the piece when my sitter is not present. And I have done portrait commissions using only photos- taken by someone else with my direction, but my strong preference is to work in person. This is because the connection between myself and the sitter is important in creating a sense of vitality and personality in the portrait.
  • Can I surprise someone with the gift of a portrait?
    Ideally, the subject would need to be part of the process and join me for two to three sittings in person, so your surprise gift would be that a portrait will be done.
  • I like the idea, but I have in mind a piece that is more realistic/abstract/has more than one figure/has a certain pose …
    If you have a pose, a particular piece of mine, or another source of inspiration that you relate to, I would be happy to work that into the design. Please get in touch!
  • How do I care for my piece?
    Bronze: Dust with a damp cloth or feather duster using no soap or chemicals.Keep it indoors; this is to protect the patina, since the bronze itself will not be hurt. Patinas do change over time, so some changes to the surface are expected. If you would like to re-finish the piece, this should be done with wax by a professional (myself or someone else). 
    Clay: Clay pieces should be kept indoors, as freezing and thawing may crack and ruin the clay. Dust with a damp cloth or feather duster using no soap or chemicals.

Man of Worth

Commission piece, bronze, 20 x 9 x 7", 2018

It is a difficult time to be a man of integrity because the dominant model of maleness, the one perched at the top of the patriarchy, is rightfully being challenged. It has been shown to be arrogant and posturing, ignorant and hurtful, painfully lacking in integrity.

This portrait of Matt provides a worthy model for a man of integrity. He is strong, smart and successful, and it is the pensive humility, the inward gaze, demonstrated here, that makes him so. He clearly moves from the heart. He takes time to consider the complexity and interconnectedness of his decisions, and is aware that he is not perfect and that his mistakes have repercussions. The emotional quality of his presence is of deep value.
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The form of the bronze portrait, classically used to memorialize the greatness and power of prominent personages, in effect to demonstrate the hierarchy, is a perfect tool for re-imagining and redefining what it is to be a man of worth.