“From the initial phone call to the final installation, the professionalism of Steve’s work has been outstanding. The ability to listen and translate the brief from our nursing staff, fundraisers, design and stakeholder groups was exceptional and the creative flair that he brought to the project has left everyone totally delighted. Several design meetings took place where ideas were developed into sketch drawings followed by a visit to the studio to experiment with glass and colour. We highly recommend Steve Robinson and congratulate him for the outstanding and unique installation that now adorns the walls of our new unit.”
— SUZANNE DAVIES, HYWEL DDA UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD, WALES
Design expertise and communication
Glass art commissions draw upon my artistic skills as well as my technical experience to create a unique glasswork to fulfil your brief.
Firstly I will have a discussion with you to make sure I understand what you hope to achieve through the project. If you are local we can arrange for you to visit my studio; but if this isn’t possible we can work just as well together via the phone and internet.
Depending on the nature of the piece, I may produce a number of sketches and glass samples to show you as the design develops.
See below for the typical commission process you can expect and view case studies:
Budget
The overall budget for the project should be clarified at the outset. I can then ensure I am only putting forward proposals which I know can be realised, taking into account my design time, the production costs and the delivery.
Design Brief
I will talk with you in detail about your ideas and aspirations, and from this we will formulate a design brief. This will take into account, for example, the style and use of the room in which the glass will feature, the theme or message you may wish the glass to convey, and any safety/practical considerations.
Payment
Once you have confirmed that you wish to place the commission, a deposit equal to 10% of the value of the project or £250 (whichever is the greater) is payable in order to reserve the time in my studio schedule and before the design work can commence. For more complex designs we may agree further staged payments. Later, upon finalisation of the design, the balance will be payable prior to production of the glass.
Concept Drawings
From the design brief, I will produce a number of initial concept sketches. These will be presented to you for discussion, and then developed taking into account your feedback, perhaps combining elements of each drawing. This process will continue until you are completely happy, before then working up a scale version of the finished design.
Glass Samples
Usually, alongside sketches, I will make specially for you some glass samples enabling you to see the design, colours and textures in their true form. These too can be adapted as necessary until you are completely happy. Depending on the nature of the project, I may even produce a scale 3D glass maquette to further help you visualise the effect in-situ.
Timescale
I will let you know the overall expected timescale when we are discussing the brief for the project, and it is important that any specific deadlines are made clear to me at the outset. The timescale is of course partly dependent on how quickly you respond to designs and samples sent to you. Typically the entire commissioning process will last around 12+ weeks from order to completion.
Delivery
Once the glass is finished I will send you some images so that you can make sure you are completely happy before delivery. Depending on the size and nature of the project, I may personally deliver and fit it, or oversee its installation.
Want to learn more?
Read about some past commissions with the following varied case studies:
Illuminated Feature Case Study
A 2.4m illuminated feature for a clifftop residence on Guernsey.
