The Commission Process

From conceptualization to the final pour, creating a bespoke masterpiece is an intimate, collaborative journey between the patron and master sculptor Kirk McGuire. Whether you are envisioning a subtle interior accent, a functional bronze architectural table, or a monumental public installation, the path from raw idea to finished fine art follows a rigorous, time-tested standard of excellence.

Below are the elite phases of the commission lineage:

Initial Consultation & Vision Profile

To streamline your vision and establish accurate parameters, please prepare to communicate your spatial and structural goals before initiating contact:

• Dimensions & Scale: Specify your preferred physical footprint (e.g., a 3-foot entryway anchor or a 25-foot public installation), or scale relative to nature (such as life-sized or half-life-sized).

• Capital Allocation: State your target budget with transparency. If parameters are rigid, we can explore configuration adjustments to optimize production and foundry costs without compromising artistic integrity.

• Timeline Constraints: State any absolute deadlines or unveiling target dates.

• Visual Reference: If applicable, provide detailed photographs or reference material of the subject matter. This allows Kirk to instantly assess the level of anatomical detail required and deliver an accurate structural forecast.

Comprehensive Project Proposal & Estimation

Following your consultation, Kirk provides a detailed formal proposal outlining your final sculpture's configuration, structural proportions, and aesthetic direction. This document includes a comprehensive financial estimate based directly on the complexity and scale of the art.

• Schedule and Pricing Adjustments: While you review the proposal, note that pricing and timelines depend strictly on the casting foundry’s current schedule. Please consult Kirk regarding deadline windows to secure the quoted rate and timeline.

• Monumental Work Note: For life-sized or larger-than-life-size installations, a finished physical maquette (scale model) is strictly required. The foundry cannot compute raw bronze, pouring, or engineering costs without precision calculations of the approved marquette’s exact multi-dimensional volume, height, width, depth, and structural movement.

Initial Retainer & Studio Execution

Upon formal acceptance of the project proposal, a non-refundable initial retainer of 50% is required to secure foundry scheduling and initiate studio work.

• Reference Gathering: Kirk utilizes comprehensive reference material, specialized film footage, and personal field research to guarantee absolute anatomical accuracy. For complex subjects, you may be requested to provide multifaceted angles (front, profile, three-quarter, and rear views).

• Scaled Modeling: For monumental commissions, an up to 2-foot clay maquette is sculpted first. Once perfect, this maquette serves as the master blueprint to be mechanically enlarged and meticulously molded before the final, full-scale sculpture is built in clay.

Client Review & Aesthetic Approval

You will be invited to review the clay maquette or full-scale clay form. For custom portraiture or highly specific subjects, a second viewing session will be scheduled, allowing Kirk to apply precision adjustments and final textures. Work only advances to the physical foundry once you have provided absolute formal approval of the clay masterwork.

The Alchemy of the Foundry

With the wax/clay artwork approved, the physical piece enters the foundry. It undergoes an intense fabrication cycle: crafting structural silicone molds, executing the ancient lost-wax casting sequence, running meticulous metal finishing, chasing the bronze, and applying a rich, custom-torched hot chemical patina for its signature coloration.

Final Acquisition & Logistics

Upon absolute completion of the bronze masterwork, the remaining 50% balance of the agreed price is due, alongside finalized shipping, freight, or specialized installation costs. Delivery logistics, secure crate shipment, or white-glove transport are arranged seamlessly in accordance with your project contract.

Masterpiece Installation

If the sculpture or table requires permanent architectural anchoring, Kirk will personally oversee professional, licensed installers to guarantee the work is safely and flawless integrated. Installation costs are computed independently from the sculpture's creation and appended to the final logistical summary, unless you prefer to retain your own third-party structural installation service.

The Timeline of Bronze Art

Because each piece is an uncompromised, structurally unique work of fine art, production timelines vary based on scale and foundry volume. Fine art casting cannot be rushed. Expect a timeline of six to nine months for mid-sized masterworks, and a year or more for monumental, larger-than-life-size installations. Over his forty-year career, Kirk has cultivated elite, direct relationships with top fine-art bronze foundries, ensuring flawless execution from the first sketch to the final installation.

Initiate your collection

When you are ready to commission a one-of-a-kind sculpture, architectural bronze table, or monumental installation for your private estate, yacht, or corporate headquarters, please contact the studio directly.

Recent Commission UC Berkeley Botanical Campus Garden Memorial

Connect With The Sculptor

Call Kirk McGuire Direct: (415) 497-7169 Email [email protected]

Or submit a private inquiry via the 'Contact' portal on this website.