top of page
Why Custom work?
There are near endless options for purchasing many great pieces of sculpture and furniture that are available, but why should you consider purchasing or commissioning some of my work? As far as my sculptural work goes hopefully it will be something that you can relate to or the underlying narratives of the piece are as evoking to you as they were to me.
With commissioning a custom piece of work it is not an immediate process. Projects may take a number of weeks to a few months and there might be lead times on top of that. My work is produced all by myself by hand. While I do incorporate a number of higher end technology into my work I am not capable of competing with mass production.
If you are interesting in a series or run of work please keep in mind my workspace is only so large, If you are interesting in something like that I am keen on hearing about the scope of the project.
Introduction
Michael works in a wide variety of materials and formats which means there are quite a few options for custom commission for furniture, sculpture, design, or other projects. Michael currently lives and works on Vancouver Island, Canada, and has experience is shipping his work internationally. In short, you location should not be a concern.
Process
The first step in proceeding in a project is to go over what you want. Depending on the scale and complexity of the project there may be a design fee. You may have images of references you are looking to use in your project, or you may have a more organic view of your project. Either way the best way to start is to get in touch via email and we can proceed. At this point a number of drawings will be done to establish a direction for the project. After this, depending on the project I may be able to proceed ahead or may spend more time on working on a model. Primarily with stone sculpture I can work from a drawing with ease while for furniture or design projects more time is spent in the planning phase.
Materials
In woodwork, I specialize in veneering which allows for a wide range of woods to be used and patterns. Veneering is an excellent choice for using in furniture as it is both beautiful and durable for most use. All veneer work uses high quality Baltic Birch plywood or other quality substrates. Once the foundations for a project have been established the materials must be chosen. This is difficult to list in broad terms but may be the best to discuss in the first stage. Inherent with natural materials there will always be variation, even in the same material. If you interested in what kind of materials I have please contact me. I have however included a few images of various species of wood that are available for projects below. If something more specific is required there is no issue in mentioning what you would like and for me to source out the appropriate material.
Build
Once the details have been worked out Progress will start. There may be a period of time before I can get started on your project due to other commitments with other ongoing projects. Once I have started I will provide images and update. The focus of Michael Kiss studio is to build and create to the highest standard. I will have an estimate of a timeline but my focus will be to build the best possible projects for you and as such timelines may change.
Finishes
Once the project has been completed a finish must be applied with some exceptions to sculpture. The primary finish I use is a durable outdoor lacquer that preserves and enhances the colour of the material. With woodworking other options for finishing are oil and varnish finishes.
Shipping
Once a project is complete there are a number of options. If you are in the area of my studio which is currently on Vancouver Island, Canada then it can be picked up. In other cases it must be shipped either by post or freight depending on size. International shipping is no issue.
bottom of page