Custom Metal Sculpture Commissions
A custom metal sculpture commission with Corey Ellis is a one-of-one welded artwork built specifically for your wall, your scale, and your space. You send dimensions and a few photos; Corey replies with direction, materials, and a project-specific price.
What a commission means here
- A single original piece, never reproduced.
- Built by Corey from raw copper, steel, and mixed metals.
- Sized and finished for the specific wall or space.
- Direct artist communication from inquiry to install.
- Crating, shipping, and install notes coordinated per project.
Commissions are not products. They are decisions - about scale, surface, light, and the way a room is meant to feel when someone walks in. Corey approaches each one as a sculptural problem unique to that room.
If a piece could be ordered as is, that's an Available Work purchase. If the space asks for something that doesn't exist yet, that's a commission.
Who commissions custom sculpture
Specifying a focal piece for a residential or hospitality project where stock options don't fit.
Lobby, restaurant, spa, or amenity-floor focal sculpture sized for the architecture.
Adding a one-off original to a personal collection or specific room.
Corporate lobbies, brand offices, and ground-floor retail anchors.
Coordinated artwork sized to a building program from drawings or finished plans.
A specific wall, stair, or great room that deserves more than a print.
What to send Corey
- Wall or space dimensions in inches or centimeters.
- Photos of the wall, room, and adjacent finishes.
- Any reference pieces - yours or Corey's archive.
- Ceiling height and intended mounting position.
- Lighting (natural, directional, accent) if known.
- Use: residence, hotel, restaurant, office, gallery.
- Any hard install date.
- Budget range, if you have one - it shapes material choices.
A short message is enough to start. Corey will reply with the questions that matter for the specific project. No long brief required, no template to fill in.
If you have nothing more than a rough wall measurement and a feeling, that's still a starting point.
Send Project DetailsFrom first message to install
- 01Inquiry
You send the space, dimensions, and direction. Corey reviews within a few business days.
- 02Direction & estimate
Material, scale, finish, and rough budget aligned in writing before any deposit.
- 03Build
Sculpture is welded by hand. Progress photos shared at key milestones.
- 04Crate & deliver
Crating and shipping coordinated based on destination, scale, and access.
What moves a commission price
- Scale - total square footage and depth of the piece.
- Material mix - copper, steel, mixed metal, finishing hardware.
- Surface treatment - patina, oxidation, polish, enamel.
- Mounting system - wall cleats, standoff hardware, freestanding base.
- Detail density - number of welded elements, finishing labor.
- Shipping - domestic crate vs international freight.
Pricing is quoted per project. There is no menu and no two commissions arrive at the same number. Sharing a budget range up front lets Corey design within it rather than around it.
Specific pricing examples are intentionally not published here - every project is priced after the brief is reviewed.
Getting the piece to the space
Crating, freight, and install coordination are quoted per project once dimensions and destination are confirmed. International shipping reach and customs are handled case by case. White-glove install support can be discussed when the property requires it.
What the studio builds with
Sheet and round bar, patinated through heat and chemistry. Tonal range from oxidized greens to deep amber.
Mild plate and rod for structural silhouettes. Blackened, brushed, or sealed clear depending on intent.
Brushed or mirror polished for cooler, reflective surfaces and contemporary palettes.
Field surfaces and figurative work - dense, hand-set, signature studio language.
Layered copper, steel, and brass passages when a piece needs tonal contrast in one body.
Color-fast finish applied last on pop and contemporary commissions in custom palette.
Durable matte and satin alternative for high-traffic install.
Concealed cleats, standoff hardware, and freestanding bases fabricated to the piece.
What a commission covers, and what it doesn't
- Direction calls and written design notes from inquiry through approval.
- Material selection, sizing, and finish recommendation specific to the space.
- Hand-welded build by Corey in the studio, start to finish.
- Studio photography of the finished piece before crating.
- Custom crating sized to the work.
- Mounting hardware fabricated to the sculpture.
- Install notes and remote support during hanging.
- On-site install labor (available as a coordinated add-on).
- Architectural lighting design.
- Wall reinforcement or general construction work.
- Customs brokerage on international freight.
- Insurance riders beyond freight coverage.
Anything from this list can be coordinated as an add-on. It is excluded from the base scope so the commission price reflects the sculpture itself.
The studio's working vocabulary
Commissioned pieces sit in one of six working directions. Each one is a starting point - the final brief almost always pulls from two or three at once and resolves into something specific to the room.
Why buyers commit to a custom commission
Every commission is unique. The sculpture in your space exists nowhere else, by anyone, ever.
No gallery markup, no production team, no licensing intermediary. The artist takes the brief and ships the work.
Active originals are listed on Etsy, eBay, and Saatchi Art with public buyer history alongside the custom studio practice.
Frequently asked
- What does a custom metal sculpture commission include?
- Discovery, direction, build, finish, packaging, and delivery coordination. Every commission is one piece, one buyer. Corey owns the build from first weld to crate.
- What changes the price of a commission?
- Scale, material (copper vs steel vs mixed), finish complexity, surface treatment, mounting hardware, and shipping or install requirements. Pricing is quoted per project, not from a menu.
- Do you ship internationally?
- Shipping reach is confirmed per project. Crating, freight, and customs are coordinated based on destination.
- Can I send a sketch or mood board?
- Yes - and please do. The more reference the better. Photos of the space, dimensions, lighting, and adjacent materials sharpen the direction quickly.
Commission program at a glance
- Residential commissionStarting:Quote requiredPrivate collectors, designers, homeowners with a specific wall.
- Hospitality / commercialStarting:Quote requiredHotels, restaurants, lobbies, atriums, brand spaces.
- Large-scale wall sculptureStarting:Quote requiredPieces 6-12+ ft across needing structural mounting.
- Custom lamp / functionalStarting:Quote requiredSculptural table or floor lamps for designed interiors.
No menu pricing. Every commission is quoted per project after the brief is reviewed. Sharing a budget range upfront lets the design happen inside it.
Request a QuoteRelated work and pages
Start a Custom Artwork Inquiry
Share dimensions, space, and any imagery that inspires the project. Corey reviews every inquiry personally.