One of one
A formal promise about uniqueness, authorship and the words carried by a commissioned piece.
The promise
Every piece I make is one of one. Thrown once, carved once, fired once.
If you commission a piece with words that are yours — words you wrote, words your grandmother used to say, a private joke between you and someone you love — those words are yours alone. They will not appear on another piece I make.
The only exception is language that already belongs to the world: a line from Shakespeare, a hymn, the lyric of a song everyone knows. These can be inscribed, but they cannot be retired, because they were never mine to give.
Once a piece leaves the workshop, the words leave with it.
- 01
You send the words
A line, a saying, a name and date, or a short verse — with any context that would help Nick carve it well.
- 02
Their origin is confirmed
Original words belonging to you or your family qualify for the pledge. Published language can be used, but cannot be retired.
- 03
The words are retired
Once the commission is fired and delivered, that private inscription will not appear on another piece Nick makes.
A record of the work
Made visibly, kept honestly.
Where the photographs exist, a commissioned piece can be recorded on this site: the object, its inscription and selected moments from its making. The record follows the work rather than forcing every piece into the same story.
Discuss a commission