Meet Raymond Gibby | Fine Art Bronze Sculptor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Raymond Gibby and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Raymond, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I never wanted to start a business. I just saw that the opportunity to do what I enjoy doing (making fine art) wasn’t going to be available by working for someone else. So I had to create my own opportunity. The challenge with approaching starting a business from that point of view is having to face the fact that there will be many roles to fill in the business that are not necessarily what I want to be doing with my time specifically, may not be very enjoyable and I may not be very good at. Where I have been able to, I have recruited others to take on some of those roles but many of those roles can not be fill by any other person than myself or initially in the business, there may not be been enough money to support somebody else filling those roles. Every business, to be successful requires someone that can fill the role of a technician ( the person that creates the product), a way to manage things and people (someone that can handle the day to day functioning of the business processes), and an entrepreneur (the person that sees the vision of the future and how to get the business to arrive their successfully). I enjoy and live in the technician area of my business. I just want to create my product all day, every day. Fortunately, I have learned to work both as a manager and entrepreneur, but those areas of my business are not my passion or personal desire. For anyone wanting to start and really grow their business, I believe they need to face the reality of the importance of these three aspects of business. Without all three areas given equal treatment the business will be weak and likely eventually fail.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have been a bronze sculptor now for over 20 years. Many artists stay in a narrow range of work while I am rarely content to stay in my small bubble of art execution. Although, in my gallery locations throughout the country, where you will see my representational wildlife and western art work, I have done commission work also that ranges from NCAA football Awards to, NASCAR trophies, to NFL monuments, works for universities, corporations and even a gigantic hamburger for corporate McDonalds. I figure that if I can create it, then why limit myself. To do what I am doing today, I have had a tough journey of setbacks and challenges. Without passion, and drive a person should not attempt to make it as fine artist. It takes tenacity to never give up, a thick skin, endless hours of work, constant education, an ability to adapt to a wide range of social interaction, the willingness to wear many hats, support from loved ones and a few well timed miracles from God. I suppose that there are artists out there that have sought fame and relish attention, but I feel the great ones were in it because they just wanted to participate in creating beauty… and they became famous because of what they produced. If nobody ever knew who I was, but I was still able to provide for my family by creating art until the day I die then I would be content. But if you happen to be one of those that gets to work with me, you would find that my name stands for quality, excellence, and reliability. I hope that my artwork conveys my passion for my work and a love for those subject matters that it represents.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend were to visit my city, I would give them a full tour of the art foundry and let them see bronze get poured at 2000 degrees, I would then take them to one of two local favorite restaurants, the Art City Trolley or the Strap Tank in Springville, Utah. Any friend of mine would enjoy shooting guns, so we would go and shoot some clay pigeons out on West Mountain near Payson, UT. Living in Utah, the outdoors is where it is at, so local hikes fishing opportunities etc. are not in short supply for that purpose. If my friend happened to also be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then we would likely end up visiting one or more of the Latter-Day Saint Temples that there are along the Wasatch Front. We would likely also visit Main Street in Park City, where I show some of my work in the Mountain Trails Gallery. While in that area we might go for a swim at the Crater hot springs in Midway, Ut and dinner at the Blue Boar Inn also in Midway. I might also take them to the Legends Motorcycle museum, or the famous Springville Art Museum in Springville, Ut or the Bean Natural History Museum in, Provo Utah on BYU campus. If visiting Northern Utah, Temple Square in Salt Lake is an extremely impressive to visit so that would also have to be on the list. And at the very least we would tour my studio and likely have several hotdog roasts in my back yard.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to offer a “Shout Out” to the many artists that produced excellence throughout the years, whose shoulders this generation of artists now stand on and to all of my competitors that drive me crazy and force me self examine and to strive for excellence and for all those that encourage me and tell me I am doing a good job even when I am not quite so sure that what they are saying is true.

Website: GibbyBronze.com

Instagram: GibbyBronze

Linkedin: Raymond Gibby

Facebook: Gibby Bronze Sculpture and Paintings

Youtube: Raymond Gibby

Other: (479)586-7645

Image Credits
Mysterious Media Hawkinson Photography The Photo Shop