Cartoon Half-Length Portrait — Hospital Founder, Portland

A hospital in Portland wanted to mark the woman who had founded it. A formal bronze bust had already been discussed and rejected: it did not sound like her, and the staff who had worked with her could not picture it.

What they asked for

A cartoon half-length portrait — oversized head, simplified features, still plainly her — with her hands sculpted at the base, because she talked with them. Roughly 1.8 m, for the lobby.

Building it at full size

At 1.8 m the piece sits on a steel armature. The likeness is the whole job: we exaggerate proportion, not identity, so the eye set, the nose profile and the hairline stay faithful. The hands took as long as the face.

The finish

Hand-painted over a base coat, natural skin tones with a navy blazer, sealed under a UV clear coat. Fibreglass is the material for this: a painted face holds a likeness that a metal patina cannot, which is why realistic portraits in stainless steel cost far more and lose the likeness easily.

Installation

Assembled in the lobby and bolted to the floor, positioned just inside the main entrance. Indoor access was straightforward for a piece this size.

What it cost

A realistic painted portrait at 1.5–2.0 m in fibreglass lands around $8,000–$15,000 once the face and hands are refined. This commission came in at $9,800 delivered, ten weeks from 3D approval.