The call of the wild - experimenting, designing, casting, moulding, carving, sculpting: multi-award winning sculptor, Jac Scott MRBS, an associate member of Royal Society of Sculptors, starts creating bird patterns for sculptures. This exciting new work is on its way for a an avian inspired collection of three-dimensional art - expect something different!

A 40 second glimpse into some of the creative design processes we use.

Getting Plastered at Utopia from Utopia: The Unexpected Gallery on Vimeo.

Drawing to commission has a different dynamic, one where the poetry of creativity has a tension. The management of that is where Utopia excels, as exemplified in the last twelve months when Jac has been commissioned by both corporate companies and private clients to draw a range of subject matter.

We thought you might be interested in both the process and the results.

What happens when I commission a drawing at Utopia?

• CONSULTATION

The first step is to have an in-depth consultation with Jac on what your ideas are and how Utopia might fulfil them. We also discuss options for developing the idea and find out your budget and deadline – key parts of working productively together.

• SITE VISIT                  

Secondly, a site visit is booked. From this, basic research material is gleaned and then a quote is provided. Utopia does not charge for these initial meetings.

• CONTRACT                  

A simple contract is drawn stating: the brief, financial terms and schedule. On signed agreement and exchange of the contract, plus receipt of the non-returnable deposit, the work begins.

• RESEARCH                  

Jac will need to make some site visits to collect research material (sketches, photographs etc) but exactly how many are arranged, depends on the brief. The visits are always arranged with the client in advance and at times of mutual convenience. Many of the site visits are outside and therefore dependant on suitable weather conditions.

• SKETCH

It is usual for a preliminary sketch illustrating the composition to be forwarded to the client prior to a full drawing being created. This ensures that both parties are clear about the brief and that both are heading in the same direction. Any amendments are then made.

• DRAWING                  

At this stage the exciting part commences as the full drawing is developed. On completion a low-resolution version is emailed to client for feedback.

• CHANGES                  

Any little changes to the drawing are executed, the final version is agreed, then this stage is signed-off by the client.

• OTHER MATERIALS

If developments like framing and printing have been asked for, then it is at this stage in the process that they are managed.

• COMPLETION

On receipt of the drawing (and other materials) the client pays the balance and does a final sign-off to show the commission has finished.

This process enables both parties to clearly understand what is happening and when, so there is little chance for misunderstandings. Jac has spent twenty-five years as a professional artist working to commission, so she understands the process well and finds it rewarding developing new works from clients ideas.

Please get in touch if you have a concept you’d like to explore further.

Here are some commissions from clients in the last twelve months.

Tips on enjoying making decorations with natural materials.

Deciding on a Christmas theme for the gallery is always a delicious dilemma. This year a local ramble with Moss across the fields provided the answer with bunches of giant dead cow parsley - perfect for a loose ethereal arrangement when sprayed with gold.

Have a go yourself if you like natural materials at Christmas

1. Pick the cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) on a dry day and strip off any leaves so that the stems are clean. Cow parsley is quite brittle so be careful handling it. Keep the plants dry.
2. Trim the stalks as required.
3. Choose a still, dry day for spraying the plant with metallic spray paint - its amazing how far the spray travels so its advisable to remove any objects you don't want covered, use protective sheeting on the ground and wear old clothes and shoes. Or for smaller pieces a cardboard box makes a great temporary spray booth. We recommend wearing a mask over your nose and mouth to prevent inhalation of any noxious fumes. We use an environmentally friendly spray, but it still smells awful.

TIP - It is better to spray several thin layers of paint, letting them become touch dry between each coat, as the paint will then be less likely to flake off.

4. Let the plant dry thoroughly before arranging. 

We'd love to see a photo of your results so please post them on our FACEBOOK page.

If you want to see our efforts then call by our gallery.