As you know from my previous blog post, in 2020 during the pandemic I appeared on BBC’s “Home is where the art is”, (Series 2, Episode 9 - Check it out on BBCIplayer), a TV programme where host Nick Knowles challenges a trio of artists to create beautiful artwork for people they've never met as they compete to win a special new commission for one paying homeowner.

 The show was a great experience for me and really helped launch my art career. Consequently, I now receive regular enquiries for commissions, so I thought it might be helpful if I gave you a brief insight into how a commission works using the example of the “Couples Embrace” wall piece, which I created for a private buyer. 

 The client saw me on “Home is where the art is” creating a wall sculpture that celebrated the connection of a couple. This subject matter really resonated with them, and they messaged me online enquiring about the possibility of my creating a piece for them that would echo a similar vibe.

 Like most enquires/commissions I receive, they mentioned briefly what they were hoping for, but as I have come to appreciate now, having worked on numerous commissions, most clients cannot fully envision what they want and don’t want to hinder the artist's imagination and creativity. This approach works well for me as I prefer the creative freedom and the opportunity to investigate further and come up with more questions, such as what forms do you like? and styles etc. 

 With this client, I had a sit-down video call to discuss the piece further, which I also found immensely helpful. What they loved about my work was my ability to capture the essence and connection of the couple's form. They had a large space in mind to fill and so wanted me to elaborate the concept more by either adding extra forms or playing with the compositions and scales. While I was on video, I sketched rough initial ideas and showed them past sketches I’ve worked on which helped me know what forms they liked. Armed with all this new knowledge I set about creating concepts, that differed in scale and complexity. 

 Budget/price:

 On our video call, we discussed price parameters and I asked if they had a budget in mind, as it helps guide me when designing. They gave me an approximate ceiling price to work to but didn't want to hold me back and stunt my creativity by being too rigid on this, which felt truly liberating and thrilling. 

 Pricing for this type of private commission wall art starts from around £3,000 to £6,000 Smaller scales would be slightly less

 3D free-standing private commissions start from £4,000 to £8,000

Once concepts, parameters, and budget is agreed upon before I start working on a bespoke piece I take a 50% non-refundable deposit. 

 The making process:

 Once the clients had seen and approved my outline design I set about the making.

 It was the first time I was shaping sheet steel panels to sculpt the figurative forms; in the past I only created an essence of them with round bar forms. It was very challenging not just for the physical complexity, but also mentally. Due to being a new venture, doubts and concerns crept in, “am I asking too much of the steel to do this/can it do it?”. “Would it work visually?” thankfully I persevered and proved my inner critic wrong. 

 The only other issue was with the finish. I felt the figures needed to stand out from the background more, by having a differing finish would help. I developed a painted distressed look where I would add layers of paint and then take them off in areas to create tones and depth to the piece. However, my first take was rather bold and perhaps too striking. Feeling unsure I showed it to the clients, and they were concerned too, it stood out too much. So, I went at it and took more and more paint off, and to my amazement and delight it started to look immensely better, with less paint, more of the textured steel forms could shine through. Overall, it was a more balanced and striking look and taught me a valuable lesson about involving colour in sculpture. Do so carefully as it can easily lessen a work.

Timescale and delivery timings

 When we first started talking about the commission it was a week after the show aired and at this point, I was dealing with an overwhelming number of inquiries. It left me with a challenging task manage, so I explained my situation and that it may be a while before I could take on their piece but thankfully, they were very patient and happy to wait. 

 It was about 8 months later that I finally made a start on their piece. I gave a rough expectation for how long it would take to create and deliver (about 2 to 3 months), but sadly covid came around again and delayed the delivery for an additional 3 months as they lived in the Isle of Man, and I wasn’t allowed to visit and install until restrictions had been lifted.

 I made the piece in two sections for ease of making delivery and installation. II wanted to deliver this personally to make sure it would be mounted correctly. I like to deliver and install personally as it gives me the chance to meet the client and thank them for the opportunity to make their commission.

 This install went well, the only complication was getting there as it was on the Isle of Man ferry! And I am pleased to say the clients were delighted. 

• Commission timescales will always vary depending on the size, complexity, delivery location and my workload, but the minimum expectation will be a 3 month lead time.

 Creating this private commission wall sculpture has left me with more confidence in my abilities to work with steel and the belief I can do this and take on more large high-end work like this in the future. It’s also added more comprehension to my steel working skills in terms of shaping panelled steel to fit the desired form, and I made significant breakthroughs with how to involve colour in my work.

 I look forward to hearing from you if you would like to discuss a possible artwork commission. I am always happy to discuss without obligation. 

To learn more about this piece click the link below.