A bronze art commission is the pinnacle of any sculptor. John Tolmay has produced numerous commissioned pieces of original sculpture for discerning clients. He has been commissioned to produce awards that honor achievements for Abbott Pharmaceuticals. He has produced a stunning stag for the garden and dinning hall of Deer Path Inn, Illinois. He has also created awards for Safari Club International (SCI). He created a unique piece for the Klineburger Award. And beyond that he continues to create commissioned bronze sculptures and statues for discerning collectors. John Tolmay welcomes commissions to sculpt for Hotels, Hospitals, Banks, Insurance Companies, Interior Designers, Foundations, Museums, Schools and Property Developers.

Six new pieces in the gallery

Everything’s big and better in the Lone Star State, where last night we weathered a storm with lightning that lit up the sky, thunder that boomed like a cannon and rain that fell sporadically, interrupting our sleep. It got me thinking that four months of this year have already slipped through our fingers, and the Dallas Safari Club and Southeastern Wildlife Exposition seem like distant memories. I ain’t sent out one newsletter since then, so good to see y’all again!

I sculpted a number of small pieces last year which proved popular with folks who were downsizing. Herewith the selection of all six which garnered chuckles, chortles oooh’s and aaah’s and this lovely comment about Spooked from Jim and Diane who are long-time collectors: “We are delighted with our latest Tolmay, it is stunning. Lovely patina. Will find a proper placement”.

Most of this year I’ve been working on commissions, like finishing up the larger version of a water fountain, which is my take on “The Mermaid,” – it’s currently being cast at the foundry. With no constraints or limits, I was able to let my imagination run wild and come up with an entirely new take for the project – so watch this space.

A charging buffalo! Now there’s a subject that’ll get your heart racing. I call my piece “Use Enough Gun.” It’s a reminder that, when it comes to buffalo, you don’t want to be caught without enough firepower. Again have been allowed to really use my imagination on this one having mercifully never had to face a charging buffalo down. Made sure there was plenty of fire power and my clients were accurate with their rifles. Excited to release this piece.

Also working on a table-top piece of running black lechwe which is a really great challenge.

So a diverse selection of pieces to keep me occupied until the end of May when we head to France to visit our daughter Georgie, and then we’re off to Zimbabwe to see friends and family. We won’t be back until the end of July, so hopefully we’ll miss some of the worst of the Texas heat.

2023-05-01T07:41:13-04:00May 1st, 2023|Antelope, Commission, Elephant, Kudu, News, Small, Stories|

Bringing the Gwasi Bull to life

What you see in the image gallery below is the process of taking the sculpture from the clay to the bronze. The mold is made up of many pieces and a not single piece as one might imagine. You can see that the final piece is never solid but in fact hollow inside. Can you imagine the weight of a piece like this if it was solid?! This process applies to all my bronzes no matter how big or small they are. This one happens to be my largest piece to date.

The Gwasi Bull is made up of some 50 odd pieces of individually cast pieces of bronze that are then expertly welded together to make up the sculpture. This is an incredibly important process that requires a truly skilled artisan and craftsman to make it happen the right way. Thereafter the patina is painstakingly applied. This process too requires patience and skill and a real vision of what one wants the sculpture to look like in the end.

I think the picture of myself, Kevin and Jimmy says it all. I am very very happy with how this is coming together. Number 1 of this sculpture will be making its home with a long-time collector of my work here in Texas and there will be 4 more cast – so if you’re interested in having a Gwasi Bull of your own you know where to find me.

Look out for the final piece in an upcoming newsletter.

2022-07-26T22:23:21-04:00July 24th, 2022|Commission, Elephant, Exhibitions, Large, News|

The Markhor Commission for Don Wall

My friend Don Wall made a trip to Pakistan in 2018 in pursuit of a Markhor goat in the mountains of Kashmir. He told me he had undertaken this odyssey while we were at SEWE 2020 before the Chinese virus hit and changed the world. I have known about the Markhor for many years – the reason being that many of my African hunting clients over the years were also Sheep Hunters and for those of you that may think that these guys are just another group of hunters you are rather mistaken. Sheep hunters are crazy! Alive or half-dead they go and climb the toughest terrain to pursue the various types of sheep and goats that inhabit the high mountains of the world.

I would say that the Markhor and the Marco Polo or Altai Agali sheep tops the list of the most desirable of all the various species found in the high places of the world. However despite the desire to hunt one of these animals they were off limits to hunters in all the areas that these magnificent animals call home. The Astor subspecies inhabits the mountains of Kashmir in Pakistan and there is another very spectacular subspecies in Tajikistan called the Bukharan Markhor.

These animals were on the brink of extinction in their home range due to illicit hunting by meat hunters. I think I need to make a point here – if I was living in those environments where poverty is as normal as the thin air they breathe, I too would hunt to feed my family or to sell the spoils of the hunt to survive. Fortunately for the Markhor, an American university professor persuaded the various Governments of those countries where the Markhor are found to allow foreign hunters a very limited quota at a very high fee and in the case of the Kashmir Markhor where Don hunted, 80% of the fee for the animal hunted is paid to the local community.

One easy lesson for those people who are against hunting, the Markhor population throughout their range has exploded! Now they are protected by the very people that poached them only a few years ago. From rags to riches has turned the Markhor into a precious resource and in one easy step these animals have already recovered from certain decimation to a burgeoning population of majestic mountain creatures.

Hunting in many places of the world has saved many species from total destruction. The Markhor is just one and the Black Rhino in Namibia is another. The purpose of all this is to say thank you Don Wall – you helped save a magnificent animal and then commissioned me to sculpt it. Great challenge and we love the result. Think we could do the same for the Snow Leopard so it too can enjoy this type of protection?

2020-11-24T16:24:49-04:00November 19th, 2020|Commission, Large|

January Update

Well so much for this guy putting his feet up and taking it easy. No, no – I have been as busy as hell with commissions and new pieces, another trip up to Montana to take delivery of new pieces and then attending the Dallas Safari Club. Just after Dallas I was approached to produce a piece for an award with an edition of 50. It will be awarded to one person per year who best exemplifies Courage and Perseverance throughout the year. I feel humble and honored to have achieved what I was asked to create.

Two other commissioned pieces are now delivered, namely the Mountain Monarch and the Mongolian Argali sheep – both sculptures took me way out of my comfort zone – however despite the challenge both my clients and I are very happy with the results.

You’ll find 3 new pieces have been added to the gallery so head over there to have a look.

2020-04-07T20:11:15-04:00January 29th, 2017|Commission, News|

Red Stag at the Deer Path Inn

I spent a good chunk of 2015 sculpting a life-size red stag and an accompanying bust. The stag now has pride of place in the Deer Path Inn garden and the bust hangs in the English Room. A visit is highly recommended – a stunning setting, excellent cuisine and top-level service. Many thanks to the team at the Inn for their support and enthusiasm for the project and none of this would have been possible without Cal and Rane Paulson from Billings Bronze in Montana for coming down to North Carolina and making the mould, the casting and then assistance with the final installation at the Inn.

2019-07-24T17:32:38-04:00January 4th, 2016|Commission, Large, News|
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