Seeing A Commission Displayed

Photo credit to Ines Loeng

It is so gratifying for me to see pieces I have created in their new homes. This sculpture was commissioned by Beth Lenke as a gift for her husband, Larry. I finished it a couple of years ago. With a move and a renovation in the works, I knew that it would be while before Beth and Larry could display the piece. I am beyond touched by the place of honor and the space the architect, Bruce Nagel, created for it.

This commission was a true collaboration between myself and the Lenke family. It evolved into a piece about the love, support and strength of their family. It is a visual representation of Beth and Larry's relationship. Their mutual love and respect is reflected in their adult children's support and love for each other.

I started the process by asking Beth and her children to create a list of words that described Larry. That list and some conversations on the various aspects of Larry’s life, gave us a way to narrow our focus for the piece. The decision was made to focus on the family. From there, we had several video calls to narrow down ideas for stance and gesture of the figures as well as the final finish. After that, I wanted the final result to be a surprise.

I’m not going to lie. Creating a commission can be a bit stressful. Will I meet the expectation of my client? Will it speak their message? The creative collaboration between myself and the client far out weights any hesitation I have. I love hearing about a client’s vision and the ideas they want to express through a piece I have created. These conversations will often lead to ideas for future work.