Commissions

The Process

Each commission is developed in close consultation with the client, from first sketch to final installation. The process typically runs over weeks or months, with regular communication throughout.

Initial consultation – Discussion of scale, material, setting, budget and timeline. Site visits where appropriate.

Concept and design – Sketches and proposals developed with the client, refined until the form is agreed.

Making – Hand-built in the studio from curved sections of clay, joined and refined over weeks or months. Bronze pieces cast at a specialist UK foundry.

Firing and finishing – Multiple firings for ceramic work, with surfaces carved, scraped and finished by hand. Bronze patinas developed at the foundry.

Delivery and installation – Specialist crating and transport arranged by James, with installation support on site where required.

Materials & Scale

Ceramic – Hand-built stoneware in black, stone or white clay. Typical scale from 60cm to over 2 metres. Lead time 8 to 16 weeks depending on size and complexity.

Bronze – Cast in collaboration with Pangolin Editions, suitable for indoor or outdoor placement. Typical scale from 80cm to over 3 metres. Lead time 4 to 8 months including foundry production.

Plinths, Delivery & Installation – Plinths can be supplied as part of the commission in materials including corten steel, painted timber, stone, solid oak or polished concrete. James will advise on appropriate scale, material and finish for the work and its setting.

Specialist crating and transport is arranged for each commission, with installation support on site where required. International shipping handled through trusted partners with experience moving large-scale ceramic and bronze works.

Each commission is approached individually, with material, scale and finish chosen to suit the work and its setting.