Paula Stern models in clay and wax and casts in bronze and resin. She works in Washington, DC and Becket, MA. Paula Stern’s busts and figures echo her deep appreciation of structure and movement. Inspired by the beauty and complexity of human physiognomy, she creates portraits of adults and children, often showing them in a sequence to chronicle human lives and family groups like chapters of a biography. Stern’s compositions and assemblages extend beyond pleasing the eye; her work is animated through complex historical nuances. Stern has been commissioned to sculpt portrait busts of prominent citizens in government, business, law, and philanthropy. Her work is in homes and gardens in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere in the U.S. and overseas. Her bronze bust of Nelson Mandela, commissioned by Pinewood Preparatory School in Summerville, SC is installed on campus. More recently, Stern was honored as a 2025 Arts and Humanities Fellow by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.