Commissions guide

I’m currently taking commissions for all lettering projects. These may be memorials, plaques, signs, garden sculpture, public art or really anything involving hand carved inscriptions in stone or wood. For all projects, the commissioning process is largely the same, I have outlined this below.

Meeting

We will usually arrange an initial meeting to discuss your requirements, we can meet in my studio or I may be able to come to you. We can also have this discussion via email or telephone if you prefer and distance is an issue. It is absolutely fine if you are not sure what you want at this stage but it would be helpful to think about the following:

Type of stone (for example, sandstone or slate), size and shape.
What would you like the lettering to say? It could be very simple such as name and dates or may include other text such as extracts from poems, song lyrics or other special words.
Style of lettering.
Any carved imagery. This may be anything from a favourite flower to a family crest and as simple or elaborate as you like. I welcome all ideas, however unusual. I find the additional carving really helps to make a memorial really meaningful and unique.
Final treatments – paint or gold leaf. I often recommend painting the lettering in slate, usually an off-white/grey colour to match the colour of the freshly cut letter. It helps to maintain contrast and legibility as the stone begins to weather, especially if the lettering or detail is very fine.

Please do have a read through the materials and methods page for a bit more info about your material, carving and finishing options.

Memorials

It can be overwhelming to design a memorial for a loved one. It might help to look around at other memorials and see what types of stone or designs you like the look of. There are a number of resources and publications that I can point you towards if you would like some inspiration. I encourage originality in design.

The greatest thing about commissioning a hand carved memorial is that you can create something completely original and incredibly special, which may not be achieved by the mechanical mass production techniques that we see in so many cemeteries today.

It is my role as the artist to take your ideas and work them up into a design that you are happy with. I will also navigate any cemetery regulations on your behalf. If you already have details regarding the location and position of the memorial (cemetery or churchyard and plot number) then please do pass these on as soon as possible. It is important to check for any regulations before beginning the design process.

Initial design

Once we have established all of the details I will go away and produce a rough scaled sketch proposal for you, along with an estimate for the work. Further refining of the design may be done at this stage. Some examples of initial sketch designs and the finished memorials are shown below. When you are happy with the initial sketch design we will:

Apply for any necessary permits (usually required for memorials in Churchyards or Cemeteries).
Draw up an agreement. I will ask for an initial deposit to cover the cost of the stone, any cemetery fees and the initial design work. This is usually around 50% of your estimate. The remainder will be payable on completion.
Order the stone. I will advise you at this stage of the estimated delivery time.

Time frame

The process of commissioning a memorial can be a lengthy one and it is not uncommon for it to take 6-12 months from start to completion, sometimes longer. This can be surprising to clients but may be due to the initial design process itself, waiting times for permits or delivery times from stone suppliers.

I would advise that it’s best not rush the process. This is usually something you will only do once and may visit for many years to come so in my experience it is better to take the time to really get it right. I will keep you updated at every stage of the process. If for any reason you do have a tight deadline then please do get in touch, it may be possible to speed up the process.

Price

It is very difficult to give you an estimate until we have established at least a rough initial design. This is because you are commissioning an original piece and the final price will be dependent on a number of things, including the stone and the amount of labour required which will be determined by the final design.

There is no obligation to continue until you have accepted my estimate. As a rough guide, a full-size memorial may cost between £3000 - £5000, though this may go up or down still depending on the detail of design and the chosen stone (slate is generally more expensive than sandstones for example). If budget is an issue then I may be able to suggest ways to simplify the design or more affordable materials.

As a small business I do not charge VAT.