John welcomes commissions. If you know what you want, contact John here.
If you are thinking about it, the following notes may be helpful.
Cost Structure
There are essentially four elements that make up the cost of a commissioned work. They are:- Realistically, no commissioned work, however modest, is likely to cost less than about £500. As well as the research, design and craft skills of the sculptor, there is the expense of quality stone and its transportion.
The Commissioning Process
People who commission a sculpture want something which is personal, that says something meaningful about them and their lives. Maybe it is to celebrate an event, an anniversary; maybe it celebrates a life; maybe it is to be the focal point of a garden or a room. And the same is true of an organisation commissioning work. Whatever the reason, the work must communicate its message clearly.
Commissioning a stone sculpture may seem a daunting prospect, particularly if you don't know much about the capabilities of stone, or how it can be used to advantage.
So how can you be assured you'll get what you want? One effective way of achieving this is to have an organised process. As a sculptor with an engineering background, John operates a consultation, specification and design process. As well as the personal and artistic issues, it covers things such as scheduling and lead times, costing, advice on access & preparation of site, and so forth.
John believes that that the client must be involved at all stages of the process. After all, a satisfied customer is the objective (as well as a unique and pleasing work of art or event marker). He's a good listener and interpreter of ideas. And he's flexible, having successfully undertaken a variety of different commissions, like architectural building stone, commemorative plaques, to major outdoor sculptures.
In outline the design process follows these steps:
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Dialogue with client: ideas and objectives
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First sketches and options
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Costings & lead times
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Options, alternatives
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Installation issues e.g. site access, fixing
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Outline stone order
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Detailed drawings, models and maquettes
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Detailed costing
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Final dates, payment schedule
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Final design
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Finalise stone order
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Start work!
Perhaps this looks a bit daunting, but in practice it is straightforward. It gives all parties a structure to work to.
So, if you want to commission a sculpture in stone, contact John Goodliffe here!
