Commissioning your own sculpture

Commissions are currently being booked for Summer 2024

Although all my sculptures are one of a kind pieces, sometimes a patron has something in mind that I wouldn't otherwise create. I accept commissions and take on custom work as my schedule permits, so if you have something special in mind, please drop me a line, and we can come up with something truly unique! Lead times on custom work can be quite a few months, so please allow time for completion if you have a deadline for a special date.

The Process

All sculptures are handcrafted by me alone in my studio on our private property in Southwestern Ontario. I don't work from formal drawings, templates, moulds or models but rather from inspiration and imagery. I freehand most of my sculptures, working from ideas and images, using raw metal and materials that are cold hammered to shape and weld in place before grinding and texturing and, finally, lacquer coating.

Commissions start as a conversation between myself and you, the patron, to determine the scope of the project, budget and timeframe for completion. Please try to include as much detail as you can think of in the initial email to start the process - including information such as who the sculpture is for, what is the subject matter, maximum sizing, the timeframe required and maximum budget (if applicable) to help me get a sense of the project right away. You will be contacted by email as soon as possible to clarify any details and, if possible, with a quote and approximate date for potential completion. A deposit is required to book the project; larger projects may be subject to a series of payments as the project progresses.

Commissions can be a delightful collaboration between myself and a patron, resulting in a spectacular original work of art. Some things to keep in mind if you are thinking about commissioning a custom sculpture:

• The type of metal sculpture I create is sculpted by what I loosely term "free hand" - there are no formal drawings, maquettes or castings for you to see before the work starts. All projects are formed on a series of conversations between parties which are then written in a contract to include key elements and one or two rough sketches to map out the general scope and highlight any specifics necessary.

• I have a style that is distinctly my own. Please take some time to review my sculptures showcased on the site here and on social media to understand what that style looks like. While I am adept at working with different subjects, my style remains constant. Your custom sculpture will have this look and feel regardless of the subject

• it is always my best intention to include all elements you would like to see in a custom piece. Still, I must reserve the right to final artistic control and decide whether any element or aspect would be appropriate or in keeping with my artistic style. This will usually come up in the initial conversations, but sometimes it will happen during the creative process. I will always discuss any deviation before continuing, but part of the artistic process is finding ways of doing things as I do them. Budget can significantly influence elements, too - sometimes; budget constraints will not permit certain elements to be included in a piece.

Ready to talk? Drop me a line to get the process started.