Commission a timeless Portrait,
Commission a museum-quality oil portrait by Archibald Prize finalist Vicki Sullivan. Based in Melbourne, Vicki creates award-winning Family, Corporate, Memorial and Institutional portraits for clients across Australia and internationally.
A commissioned portrait is one of the most meaningful and enduring gifts you can give. Whether you wish to celebrate a loved one, honour a significant achievement, create a lasting family heirloom or commission a Posthumous portrait, a painting by Vicki Sullivan is a timeless work of art.
Vicki Sullivan is an Archibald Prize finalist and internationally award-winning Australian portrait artist based in Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula. Her work is held in important public and private collections, including the State Library of New South Wales, and has been exhibited internationally, including four exhibitions at the European Museum of Modern Art.
Trained at the Angel Academy of Art in Florence Italy, Vicki combines classical technique with a sensitive understanding of character, creating portraits that capture both a true likeness and the unique spirit of the sitter.
Click to inquire about commissioning a portrait
Types of Portrait Commissions
Family Portraits
Elegant and meaningful portraits of individuals, couples, siblings, and entire families.
Children's Portraits
Sensitive portraits that capture the innocence, personality, and wonder of childhood.
Corporate and Executive Portraits
Professional portraits for boardrooms, institutions, and company collections.
Memorial Portraits
Tributes created from life sittings or photographic references to honour loved ones.
Historical and Cultural Portraits
Commissions celebrating notable individuals and important stories.
Institutional and Public Collections
Portraits for libraries, universities, organisations, and cultural institutions.
Vicki specialises in creating original Custom Portrait Commissions
Commission a Portrait,
The Commission process:
Research and Communication: Start by familiarising yourself with Vicki's style and portfolio to ensure that her artistic approach aligns with your vision. Once you've decided to move forward, reach out to Vicki to discuss your ideas, preferences, and any specific details you'd like to incorporate into the portrait.
Based on your discussions, Vicki will work with you to develop a concept for the portrait. This may involve deciding on the composition, size, colour scheme, background, and any additional elements you want to include. Once you both have a clear understanding of the project, you'll typically agree on the specifics and discuss the pricing and timeline.
Vicki prefers to paint from her own photos and references, but working from your own photography is also sometimes possible, depending on the photo.
Alternatively, the surprise could be an organised visit to Vicki’s studio for a photography session to acquire the reference material for a one-of-a-kind, heirloom quality portrait painting. At the photoshoot we try different clothing, postures, lighting and background and choose the images the sitter and their family like the best and most truly show the authentic “look” of the subject. A short video may also be taken to help capture the personality of the sitter.
Artistic Approach
Vicki is known for creating portraits with technical excellence, subtle colour harmonies, and a profound sense of humanity. Her work is inspired by nineteenth-century Naturalist painters and informed by years of rigorous academic training.
Whether painting a chairman of the board, university chancellor, or public figures such as Jan Fran, Ronni Kahn, and Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon, or creating an intimate family portrait, Vicki seeks to reveal the dignity, character, and story of each subject.
click here to contact Vicki about a portrait
Pricing is simple and an upfront 50% deposit is required to secure your place on Vicki’s commissioned portrait schedule.
The timeline of a commissioned portrait depends greatly on the complexity of the work, so please allow several months for a portrait completion. Scheduling a meeting at Vicki’s studio, via telephone or email is the first step to beginning your portrait project. Once Vicki has a full understanding of your portrait project, pricing and potential completion dates will be given.
Commission A Custom Portrait
If you would like to commission a Portrait please email Vicki at [email protected]
Portrait Price list for fully finished highest quality oil painting, unframed oil on linen:
For all portrait commissions a non-Refundable 50% deposit is required to secure a place on the schedule list for one of Vicki's custom portraits, the remaining 50% to be paid upon completion of the portrait.
For some overseas commissions, travel and accommodation expenses may attract an extra fee, unless multiple commissions can be arranged at a time
Pricing below is in Australian dollars for unframed, but fully finished, high quality oil portraits with simple clothing and plain backgrounds.
For Multi-figure Portraits in Oil, add $3000 for each extra person. Prices are determined by size and how many figures in the painting.
Vicki can help organise your Framing if preferred.
40cm x 30cm $4500 Head only
50cm x 40cm $5500 head and shoulders
60cm x 45cm $8500 Head and Shoulders or ¾ child
76cm x 60cm $12,000 Half body with hands
90cm x 60cm $14,500 Half Body with hands
100 cm x 80cm $18,500 3/4 body with hands
120cm x 85cm $26,000 ¾ body with hands
150cm x 90cm $32,000 Full body
Click here to contact Vicki about commissioning a portrait
Testimonials
Linda Kristjanson - Former Vice Chancellor, Swinburne University, Hawthorne, Victoria
"It was an absolute pleasure to work with Vicki. Her artistic talent and attention to detail were exceptional. The response to the portrait has been wonderful."
Charlene Mascia
On July 25, 2020 our lives changed forever. Allen M Smith was not only the love of my life but he was a father, grandfather, uncle, friend and hometown hero. The community that he served in Riverhead New York as Town Attorney, Supervisor, volunteer fire fighter and as a Town justice requested that his portrait be painted to be hung in the courtroom in which he presided for the past 20 years. Without hesitation, I knew that Vicki Sullivan would be the artist we would commission for this precious request. My favorite photo of Allen was a rough, distorted, pixelated cell phone photo in which he was presiding over a wedding in the mountains of Colorado. Given that photo was poor quality and the fact that Ms. Sullivan and I live approximately 10,000 miles from one another, one would think the task an impossibility. Not so! The miles melted into dear friend chats and FaceTime visits. The living master that Vicki Sullivan presented us with a portrait which exceeded our expectations! She did not simply capture a very good likeness of Allen, but instead gave to us a portrait of three dimensional styling which truly captures his generous, loving, playful and compassionate soul along with his deep and profound wisdom. This work of art is beyond breathtaking. We, the family and the community, are so very grateful to Vicki Sullivan and so very honored to have her signature attached to this priceless portrait of our Allen, The Honorable Allen M Smith. Bravo dear Vicki! Bravissimo!
Grace Farris {musician}
"I wanted something that felt extravagant and humble and I wanted a real artwork painted by an amazing artist and that's when I came across Vicki Sullivan. I thought wow this is exactly what I want. Vicki's work is so great that it is exactly the right fit for what my album represents in so many ways. I thought a painting that encompassed the power, the freedom and the romance that "The Birth Of Venus" encompassed I knew would be perfect . Vicki then sent me the final artwork and I was completely emotionally blown away. I was mesmerised. Quite a few tears were shed. It was a very powerful and humbling moment. I felt so lucky and so amazed that Vicki had painted me. Vicki really knew me and there are veins on my hand that she just captured so perfectly. I could tell she studied every inch of me. It was an incredibly amazing and an overwhelming feeling and I everytime I look at Vicki's masterpiece "The Birth of Venus" I am mesmerized and blown away every time. I was completely amazed by Vicki's work. It was an incredible experience and visually met the same overwhelming experience of creating my album 'Grace'.
I am so proud to have Vicki's masterpiece "The Birth of Venus" as my album artwork for my album 'Grace'."
Dr Helen Szoke AO
"What do you give a wonderful man who is turning 70 years old for his birthday? I thought of a portrait, and contacted Vicki Sullivan to commission the work. We began this project in the middle of lockdown, and Vicki arranged a photo shoot at the first safe opportunity. It was an easy and exciting process where the end product is fantastic. The work is so real and authentic, and so exciting to have an original portrait painted by such a talented artist."
Graham Goldsmith - Former Chancellor, Swinburne University, Hawthorne, Victoria
"I have shown my wife and it has her seal of approval!! Much much better than any photo ever taken of me."
Kevin Cosgrove - Former Australian Trade Commission Consul General, Auckland, New Zealand, and retired Businessman
"In October 2016, my daughter and I visited Mornington Peninsula Art Gallery to view a demonstration of portrait painting by 2 local artists. Sue said Dad was enthralled. True. Especially by the work of one artist: Vicki Sullivan. Curiosity piqued, and determined to learn more about what she had described as realism painting, I rang Vicki a few weeks later and asked if she would be interested in painting my portrait! “Why not?” said Vicki. “I’ve just finished one of a 90-year-old”. I was then 85. So began an often intriguing and always enjoyable 7 months process during several settings both at my home and Vicki’s studio in Rye, Victoria. My purpose was achieved well beyond expectations: to learn lots of fascinating, interesting, rewarding stuff about a superb professional artist’s methods, talent, technique, concentration, commitment, intelligence. The very pleasing result showed Vicki’s purpose was admirably achieved.
Judy Muir OAM
"Vicki Sullivan is indeed a Master of the art. Her paintings of my granddaughters are indeed exquisitely detailed and so true. They could simply walk out of their frames. Photographs cannot depict the detail these paintings show. Skin tones and texture are true and tresses of hair cascade with life and vitality, the eyes are bright and alert and hands are truly dainty yet child-like. The composition is complete, a moment in time perfectly captured. Treasures indeed."
Daniel
"I wanted to have a portrait of my mother painted as a gift for my father. From the outset I had confidence that Vicki was the right person to create this gift. Now that I've been able to give it to Dad I'm even more sure that I was right! Vicki's process is clear and straightforward. Her fees were transparent and nothing changed throughout the discussion. My mum was a reluctant model, but Vicki put her at ease and in the end managed to make it a fun (and education experience!). She set clear expectations with me about how it was all going to work, how long it would take and when I'd be able to have input. All of these expectations were met and exceeded. And the finished painting is wonderful. It's something our family will treasure, and is a true, warm and touching representation of my lovely Mum."
Mary Hollingworth
"We have a portrait of my husband done by Vicki. What I love about it is her use of colour and shading catching the cheerfulness and kindness of my husband. It is a brilliant portrait and the light colours against a darker background works very well, the lighter being his face and neck. The use of light and shadow and the way she has caught his laughter lines and lines under his eyes is exemplary. It is very realistic and captures the essence of him. I never tire of looking at it and my friends and family just go wow…. this is Alan., as in Vicki has caught him the way that they see him."
Dayle Purcell
"My first experience of working with Vicki, was to have a portrait done of my beloved little dog Bonnie. Vicki was warmly welcoming and my little dog responded in kind. Bonnie was relaxed and calm. The resulting painting, is the perfect image of Bonnie. Her personality was captured so accurately, not only due to Vicki’s artist skill, but also because she made the environment so easy for Bonnie to be natural & calm. The next meeting with Vicki was with my daughter on her 12th birthday. My daughter Georgia did a sitting with Vicki which lasted about an hour. Over that time Vicki made me daughter feel relaxed & so special, that the pictures Vicki took was entirely stress free. It is difficult for a child to be so relaxed with a stranger, but Vicki is herself a calm & gentle natured person. The portrait of my child is the perfect rendition of Georgia. She is at ease and tranquil in the painting. Vicki has for all time captured the very essences of my darling girl. The painting exactly portrays Georgia, still childlike but on the verge of blossoming into a teenager. The paintings I have from Vicki are priceless to me. I am always charmed by them. I am always captured by her skill as an artist and her sensitivity as a person."
Ross and Cathryn Bloore
"Commissioning a portrait is not something I had ever done before, so when I contacted Vicki about painting my wife's portrait as a present for a special birthday she was having, it was with some apprehension. How much would it cost? How long would it take? Would such a renowned artist even be interested in a commission from regular people like us? Then, when my wife learned that I had commissioned her portrait, she was understandably nervous about being "immortalised" in oils - would she look good, would she like the result? So, it was great when the whole process turned out to be a delight. Vicki was very easy to work with and made sure we understood every part of the wonderful journey that is portraiture. To say we are delighted with the portrait is an understatement. Vicki captured my wife's essence in a way that no photograph ever could. There is something luminous and tactile about an oil painting that conveys the soul of the subject - hard to understand until you see a loved one depicted in oils. My wife loves the portrait, feeling it illuminates her caring character. We have the portrait hanging in our entryway where we see it every day, and every day it gives us great pleasure. That pleasure also comes from knowing it is an heirloom piece that will be handed down to our daughter to remind her of her mother, and then to her daughter and so on. Thank you, Vicki, for your talent and for creating such a beautiful piece of art. Ross and Cathryn"
Heather Jane Ellis
"On first meeting Vicki Sullivan it was clear from the outset that she has a natural warmth and generosity of spirit. her enthusiasm for her work particularly in Portraiture is really infectious. Vicki has a very natural ability to bring her subjects to life especially in painting true skin tones and capturing vibrancy in the mood and character of her sitters. Vicki always captures the twinkle in an eye or perhaps a shy smile. I believe that all artists whatever their medium or style must be ever striving for perfection & improvement in our particular field and Vicki never fails to live up to this Ideal. Though to some onlookers it might seem that Vicki has reached a pinnacle with her Portraiture."
