"Sculpture Queen". Custom Bronze Statues by Lena Toritch

My Dog Statues in the News

2012-01-21T17:17:00.002-07:00

Are you ready for more dogs? I hope you are. My studio is a "Kennel of Clay", according to KSL TV Channel 5 journalist Jed Boal. :) Every one of these statues has a story to tell, but we decided to focus on just one of them, a story of Lampo, the traveling dog from Italy.

"Lampo" clay statue

Watch the news video as it was aired on January 20 2012 :

‘Kennel of clay' takes shape inside Salt Lake art studio | ksl.com

John Borbonus Bronze Statue

2011-08-08T18:35:00.006-06:00

This is the heroic statue we have been working on for the past several months. The bronze portrait likeness of American Hero SPC John G Borbonus was unveiled on August 6, 2011
Below is a news coverage of the dedication that aired on MSNBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The following morning the same story was aired on TODAY Show.

Below is a link to our new website dedicated to John Borbonus and a story of his statue creation:

Veterans Memorial Statues

Wild Cat Bronze Installed

2011-05-20T11:07:00.008-06:00

The bronze Wild Cat mascot statue for SUNY Institute of Technology has been installed.
This powerful and majestic feline will be a "good luck charm" and a recognizable symbol at the campus.

The Cat is mounted on a natural rock and will have great views from every angle. The cat is quite large and definitely has intimidating presence to him... Watch out! The claws are long..

It was so much fun working on this statue. I always loved sculpting animals and this statue let me get in touch with my wild side :)

P.S. Oh, by the way, these photos are courtesy of SUNY IT in Utica , NY...Thank you!

Bronze Statue of Hercules the Dog

2011-01-20T16:54:00.007-07:00

The statue of a noble Hercules the Dog is finished in bronze.I took these pictures at the foundry, I couldn't wait until it is installed properly. The detail and patina looks so good in the sun..I believe this statue will have a very comforting and uplifting feel.
It will be installed in the private garden, where Hercules's spirit still lingers.

There will be a special plaque, describing a beloved family companion.

Bronze Hercules will keep his faithful watch over his family, with a serene eternal smile.

Animal Art and Dog Sculpture Video

2011-01-10T19:17:00.004-07:00

We put together a new video featuring animal art and dog portraits. It seems like I have been sculpting dog non-stop for a past couple of years... big dogs, small dogs, dogs that brighten lives of their owners and dogs that serve and protect.. all of them deserve to be depicted in bronze.

Animal art has always been very special to me. I thought that creating a video about my animal bronzes would be a right thing to do. My very special thanks to an incredibly talented video producer Mikhail Torich and to my dear friend, voice over artist Barbara Dunlea, for letting us use her beautiful voice.
http://vimeo.com/17934281

Kelly's Bronze Portrait Statue Unveiled

2010-08-26T21:04:00.005-06:00

It was a wonderful weekend in Cascade, ID. The air was so clean and fresh, and a light breeze was caressing my cheek. Kelly's bronze portrait statue was unveiled at noon on August 21, 2010. Her family and friends gathered to celebrate Kelly's life. Beautiful Kelley is greeting visitors to whitewater park, walking lightly towards them, with a sweet smile on her face and a message to enjoy life and nature. This is the sculpture that touched my heart. After the unveiling I just couldn't let it go, as if I made a new friend...
It feels like Kelly's spirit is present in this peaceful place.

Statue of the "perfect dog"

2010-07-24T16:26:00.007-06:00

This is a very special statue (I do treat each custom memorial portrait statue I create as a special event)

This time it is a portrait of "the world's most perfect dog", as he was described by a small child who played with this gentle giant. Hercules the dog loved people and was always smiling. He was a happy dog and that is how his likeness will be depicted in bronze. The clay model on the photo is showing a rough "blocked-out" design, Hercules's pose and feel of the future statue. This dog was very much loved and I will reflect it in my statue, through his regal and relaxed pose. And a smile.

New Memorial Statue to Celebrate Life, Love and Nature

2010-06-02T23:39:00.006-06:00

I know, I know.. I have not updated my blog for quite while...There is a very good reason for that.I have been busy for the past six months creating a very special statue. Beautiful Kelly will be greeting visitors to the new Whitewater park in Cascade, Idaho. Please follow the link to see the full story as it was aired on June 2, 2010 on KSL TV Channel 5 in Salt Lake City:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=11017515

The clay model is now finished and will be cast in bronze.The bronze statue will be unveiled in August 2010. Stay tuned!

Egyptian statue replica

2009-12-04T19:08:00.003-07:00

This is what I love the most about creating custom statues...You never know what they will ask you to sculpt next. My latest project is a replica of the rare Egyptian statuette of Seshat-goddess of wisdom, knowledge and writing. My client provided a photo of the original piece, which is in Louvre, as the only reference. I always loved Egyptian art so this project has been a joy to do
Besides, I still remember a thing or two from my college years of studying history of art. That helped me research missing details. The sculpture is about 11"tall.

Bulldog Bronze Arrived

2009-11-23T14:53:00.006-07:00

My little puppy found new home...The statue is mounted on a gorgeous pale gray granite base, which compliments nicely a reddish brown color of the bronze. It takes a real professional to drill granite and properly install a bronze statue.

Take a look at the installation
process...

Good job, guys! The dedication is scheduled for Wednesday the 25th of November...

English Bulldog Mascot Statue

2009-09-11T16:15:00.006-06:00

It seems I keep sculpting dogs.. This one maybe as important as Bosco the Mayor of Sunol . Powerful and serious English Bulldog statue will go in the lobby of Lynn English High School in Lynn, Mass. The Bulldog statue will be cast in bronze to withstand all that handling and rubbing for good luck those young students like to do...Some people may say that "this face only mother could love", but I disagree. English Bulldogs have this special charm and wonderful heart...I'm sure this one will bring lots of good luck to kids at LEHS !

Custom memorial statues on YouTube

2009-06-25T18:34:00.003-06:00

My friends Shelley Osterloh and photographer Sam Prigg put together this nice video. I think it shows statues very well.. Thank you, my friends!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEfEAT8pKmo

Custom Bronze Statues on Facebook

2009-04-30T20:48:00.004-06:00

We now have a page on Facebook. Join our fans and we will keep you posted about our latest events, art shows and new statues. You can leave a comment about our statues or maybe even buy one...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=89918&id=73673421511&ref=mf#/pages/Custom-Bronze-Statues-PortraitsSculptures-and-Custom-Memorial-Statues/73673421511

New bronze portraits

2009-04-09T17:54:00.006-06:00

Well, finally I sorted out through my pictures..Take a look at those kids!

Custom statues installed

2009-04-07T19:34:00.004-06:00

I'm finally back in Salt Lake City. The statues installation back in Wisconsin went very well. We were lucky with the weather: the forecast promised snow, (which is not so good when you are trying to unload bronzes) but we got sunshine. The statues are now placed in front of the client's house, near a little pond...The landscaping is not quite finished, but the little girls portrait bronzes already look like they have always been there.
I'll post some images in a couple of days as soon as I sort them out. It's been a very long trip, after all.

New statues are going home..

2009-03-27T21:35:00.007-06:00

Another project has been completed and I 'm going to Wisconsin on Monday... I'll be delivering new statues to my client. They are bronze portraits of four adorable children ages from 13 to 2 years old... I'll let you have a sneak peek at one of the statues, I took these pictures at the foundry, the sun was shining and it gave such a nice warm reddish hue to the bronze. For a moment I wished I could have those bronzes to myself. But just like with children, you create you artwork, do your best and....let it go. I'll take a bunch of pictures when we install them on location and share them with you.Sometime next weekend..

let me tell you...

2009-02-24T13:03:00.003-07:00

First of all, about my blog name..."Sculpture Queen" is a nickname my family gave me. I hope you understand the joke..Being a full-time sculptor keeps you busy dealing with clients, foundries and of course sculpting and designing, sort of like trying to rule your own little world. Sometimes you succeed, sometimes you have to do it again.... We just launched new website http://www.custommemorialstatues.com to show our clients how we create large scale monuments. Large statues have always fascinated me...