The steps involved in collaborating on a piece of art . . .

Step 1: An initial meeting to discuss your needs

The purpose of this meeting (either in-person or online) is for me to get a sense of the individual or idea that you want to honor.  If you want to honor a person (or an animal), it helps me to have as many photos as possible to work from and also to have a written (or oral) statement from you to help me understand why you want to honor the individual.  The more you can tell me about what you admire about the individual you are trying to honor, the better.

Step 2: Time for me to work with your initial ideas

Depending on your timeline and my schedule, this might take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.  Typically, I like to get something going fairly soon after that first meeting so that you can let me know whether I am on the right track. 

Step 3: Several check-ins with you

The number of these “check-ins” varies.  I can send photos via e-mail to allow you to “see” the piece as it is developing.  Or, depending on the geography involved, you are welcome to visit me here in my studio in Mansfield, Ohio, while the work is in process. If you feel that I am moving in the right direction, then I will proceed along the track I’m already moving in.  If not, you need to help me get a clearer sense of what you are – and are not – looking for in this piece. Only once I get a handle on the dimensions and the complexity of the piece, will I be able to quote you a price on the final, finished product.

Step 4: A final “okay” on the clay original before I take the piece to the foundry to be cast in bronze

When we arrive at a final piece in clay that meets with your (written) approval, I will take the piece to The Studio Foundry in Cleveland to be cast in bronze.  Before I make that trip, I will need to receive the first of two payments from you.  The first payment will cover the foundry costs and be roughly half the cost of the final, finished piece.

Step 5: Another trip to pick up the finished piece

Once the piece has been cast and is ready for the patina to be applied, I will make another trip to Cleveland to be on hand while the patina is applied. Depending on the finished piece’s size and weight, I will then drive the piece back to Mansfield, where you can either pick up the piece in person or have me send the piece to you.

At this point, the second and final payment for the piece is due. You, the customer, will assume the additional cost of sending the piece to you if you cannot pick it up in person.

If the finished piece is to be installed outdoors, either you or I will contract with a third party to make sure that the piece is installed safely. You, the customer, will assume the cost of installation.

The details concerning time-frames and prices depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to the following:

Factor #1 - The size and complexity of the piece

Pieces can vary greatly in terms of both the size and complexity of the piece.  Generally, the bigger and/or the more complex the piece, the more time-intensive will be my work, and the more costly will be the foundry’s costs, as well, both to first create a mold of the piece and then to cast it in bronze. 

Typically, it takes me anywhere from several weeks to several months just to come up with an original piece in clay that meets your approval.  Depending on the foundry’s schedule, another several months at the foundry is often needed. 

Prices generally range from $4,500 to $7,500 for a bust or desk-sized full figure.

Life-sized full figures generally range from $45,000 to $75,000.

Factor #2 - The schedule of The Studio Foundry

I work with The Studio Foundry in Cleveland, Ohio, which works exclusively with fine artists, using the time-honored lost-wax casting method to create fine works of art in bronze.  Following our first meeting, I will contact the The Studio Foundry to see what their schedule looks like and to see what kind of a time-frame we might be looking at. 

As soon as I can come up with a rough sketch (in clay) of the piece you have in mind and can provide the foundry with the planned dimensions (and some insight into the complexity) of the piece, I will get an estimate of the foundry costs, and based on those costs, I will be able to give you a quote on the piece’s total cost before we proceed.

Factor #3 - The foundry’s costs

The foundry’s costs typically equal roughly half of the piece’s total cost to you.  These costs must be paid before I take the finished clay piece to the foundry.  I will not take the piece to the foundry until you have, first, approved (in writing) my work on the original clay piece and, second, paid half of the total cost of the finished piece. 

Factor #4 - Your time constraints

I will try to meet your timeline, as long as it is reasonable.  For example, when I was contacted in March 2010 about a piece that the customer needed by the end of July 2010, it was a tight deadline, but I worked with the foundry to make sure that we had the piece in the customer’s hands by the deadline specified.  Usually, however, the foundry’s schedule requires something closer to four months, once I have completed my work, to fit the piece into its already busy schedule.

Factor #5 - My time constraints

Certainly two of the things we will want to establish at the first meeting is what your desired timeline is and what my other commitments will allow me to offer you in terms of my time. We will also talk about ballpark costs, which are dependent on what you have in mind, at this first meeting.

If I think I can help you out, assuming our timelines are compatible, I will be happy to proceed, up to a point, “on spec” in order to see if we can move forward in a direction and on a timeline that is acceptable to you.

However, once I have invested 40-50 hours on the piece “on spec,” I will require a non-refundable payment equal to a quarter of the cost of the finished piece before proceeding. If you decide to proceed with the final casting of the piece, this payment will be applied to the total cost of the piece. If, however, you decide NOT to proceed with the final casting of the piece, this non-refundable payment will serve to reimburse me for the time we spent “exploring” the possibilities.