Mentorships & Residencies for sculptors

A mentorship makes it possible for anyone with some experience from working in clay to develop their skills without having to travel. Mentorships are flexible, affordable, and conducted remotely via video sessions or photo critiques.

A residency can be a one-on-one workshop focused on artistic collaboration and professional development, or an opportunity to step away from your daily routine and work in my Florence studio on a new project with a professional model. You can choose to receive as much—or as little—input and critique from me as you like.

If you hesitate or have questions before you make a commitment, please contact me.

private lessons for sculptors

“To be in Maudies class is to have the torch of her knowledge ignite the bonfire of your curiosity.”

Trevor Ewald, Sculptor

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Mentorship

Remote mentorships are open to sculptors with some experience working in clay and are ideal for those who want personalized feedback without needing to travel.
Mentoring is offered as live sessions or photo critiques. You can book sessions from a calendar or upload photos of your work for critique. Whether you’re refining a portrait, developing a figure, or seeking in-depth feedback to further master your skills, a mentorship provides deep, focused instruction over time.

Live sessions

  • Session length can be from 30 minutes up to 90 min and are booked in advance from a booking calendar
  • A tripod is required to hold your device during sessions.
  • An iPad is recommended for its larger screen and typically better camera. It helps me to more clearly see planes, form, and detail.
  • No extra software needed.

Photo critique

  • Each photo to be critiqued can be accompanied by up to four reference photos.

What to expect

  • Concrete critique to improve your sculpting technique and your art works.
  • Guidance that matches your current projects challenges.
  • Focus on refining form, expression, character and likeness to the model.
  • Support and artistic encouragement.
  • Assignments and suggestions for improvements, high-lighting blind spots to help you iron them out and grow your skills.
  • Flexible easy pay-as-you-go booking.
  • Recommended 30 min check in/month.

Cost

You pay as you go by using ‘credits’. Credits are tokens purchased in advance and are required to book a live session or upload a photo for critique.

  • Photo critique: 1 credit (one photo with a maximum of four reference photos).
  • Live session: 1 credit per 15 minutes (Minimum 30 min max 90 min).

Credits start at €30 per credit. After 8 credits purchased you receive a permanent 25% discount when topping up your credit balance.

Topping up is done in bundles of 2, 4, 8 or 16 credits. The 8 credit bundle adds 2 extra free credits to a total of 10, and the 16 credit bundle adds an extra 6 free credits to a total of 22. The 16 credit bundle with the 25% discount reduces the price of each credit from €30 to €16,40.

Signing up for a mentorship is free of charge.

NOTE: Starting some time before the end of the year, I will introduce a subscription model, but it will not apply to mentorships signed before that date.

Faq

To get the most out of a mentorship, it helps to have some experience and a project you’re passionate about. If you’re just starting to sculpt, I’d suggest focusing on taking courses. It will give you the experience you need to start sculpting from life on your own, as well as a supportive community of peers. A mentorship takes you further when you have that foundation and helps you grow from that.

Yes, and I encourage it.

As soon as your application has been approved you can purchase 2 or 4 credits. With that you can book a half hour or a one hour session, so we can have a chat. That way we both get a feel for each other.

12.00 (noon) for me in Florence Italy (CET) is:
UK (London) GMT+1 (BST)11:00 AM
New York EDT (UTC−4) 6:00 AM
Mid US (Chicago) CDT (UTC−5) 5:00 AM
San Francisco PDT (UTC−7) 3:00 AM
Tokyo JST (UTC+9) 7:00 PM

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Residency

Residencies take place in my sculpting studio in Florence and are offered in a one-on-one format. They are designed to meet you where you are—and to challenge you to grow. It’s an opportunity to come to a studio where everything is set up for you and work on a project side by side with me. If you are looking to refine specific techniques, such as deepening your understanding of form and planes to push the likeness of your work to the next level, I can tailor the experience to meet that as well.

Three residency lengths

  • 3 day intensives are for advanced sculptors that want a one-one with me to hone a particular skill.
  • 5-day residencies are ideal for focused portrait studies.
  • 10 day residencies are designed for creating a half life-size figure, allowing for more extended development and in-depth exploration.

What you will gain

The central educational value is of course the daily one-on-one personalised guidance from me, Maudie Brady, renowned sculptor and the director of anatomy at the Florence Academy of Art. Hands-on exposure to my methods, critiques, and sculptural philosophy will help you improve your own artistic process and develop your sculpting skills.

We will be working in a my personal studio, with all the necessary materials included and sculpt in daily sessions together with a professional mode. The is to complete your work, to strengthen your portfolio with a new unique piece.

After some time we will have a follow-up online session to review your progress and discuss the next steps.

Extras to take home

  • A certificate of completion documenting your participation and focus.
  • A letter of recommendation (upon request).
  • Silicon mould of your work (upon request – additional cost).
  • Digital scan of your work (upon request – additional cost).
  • Bronze or resin cast (upon request – additional cost).

Rates for residencies

  • 3 day intensive: €2070
  • 1 week (5 days): €3250
  • 2 week (10 days): €5400

Rates includes materials and model fees up to 30 model hours per week.
A deposit is required to reserve your time. Price changes do not affect already reserved residencies.

Upcoming residencies
Aug 15 – Aug 30 2025 – CLOSED – (Booked)
Apr 19 – May 1 2026- CLOSED – (Booked)
Aug 15 – Aug 30 2026 – PRELIMINARY – (contact me)

New dates are announced in my News for artists newsletter. If you have dates outside of the above in mind, please contact me.

FAQ

Rarely do I offer a place to stay, but there are several good and affordable BnBs located close to the studio I can recommend!

Yes. I have a subcontractor with who you can arrange to have your piece moulded by – depending on the scale of the work it may be needed to be moulded in situ in my studio or if it´s a smaller work it may be transported to the subcontractor´s studio. The costs of making the mould need to be quoted by the subcontractor prior to commencing the work.

Yes, that can be arranged. Just use the Background field below to suggest a payment schedule that works for you. Full payment must be completed by the time you arrive.

Partially—and it depends.
A significant portion of the deposit goes toward booking the model well in advance, which is a non-refundable cost on our end. The remainder helps cover potential losses if there’s a late cancellation and we’re unable to fill your spot. That said, I handle these situations on a case-by-case basis, and of course, legitimate reasons are always taken into consideration.

Here: https://maudiebrady.com/terms-conditions/

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Testimonials

Testimonials and reviews for mentorships and residencies

  • Excellent mentoring

    ★★★★★

    Working with Maudie Brady over three weeks of private lessons was an incredibly enriching experience. She supported me in getting the absolute most out of our time together, meeting me exactly where I was at and guiding me with precision, care, and deep presence.

    Maudie holds an extraordinary amount of knowledge about anatomy and sculpture, but what impressed me most was her ability to transmit that knowledge in ways that truly landed and stayed with me. Her teaching is heart-led, embodied, and deeply attuned. She has a rare capacity to see exactly what is needed and offer guidance that feels both highly skilled and genuinely supportive.

    She is driven, generous, and an expert in her field. I left our time together feeling inspired, expanded, and with a much deeper understanding of my practice. I’m already looking forward to returning and continuing to deepen my knowledge with her.

  • Maudie is one of the greatest living sculptors, and that echoes through into her mentorship.

    ★★★★★

    There are a lot of knowledgeable people in the field of anatomy, there are a few great sculptors, and there are just a handful of extraordinary instructors in the world. Maudie Brady is a rare example of where those three things overlap. She has a deep knowledge, passion, and commitment to educating those around her. To be in her class is to have the torch of her knowledge ignite the bonfire of your curiosity. Having taken multiple ecorche and anatomy courses prior to this one, I could not more highly recommend Maudie, and her Ecorche class to anyone interested. Furthermore, I had the great pleasure of her guidance during my growth and education as a sculptor under her mentorship. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from Maudie, and hope that will continue as I have come into my own abilities, and my experience grows.