I sent them this proposal in Email.
Thanks for the honor of creating a sea turtle for you.
These are some of images and template that I will be using for reference. Your sea turtle will be approximately 24” wide and 30” long. I will be creating a simple stand with rods to the underneath center of the body. The sea turtle will float approximately 10-13” above the stand. It will take me approx 8 hours to make and 4-6 hours to glaze. The turtle will be glazed with muted blues and greens. Cost to you will be $500. I would like 1/2 down as a deposit, and 1/2 upon delivery. I will include delivery to you in late January or early Feb. If the piece does meet with your satisfaction I will keep your deposit and not ask for the final amount. Reworking the piece can be discussed at this time if needed. Thanks in advance for the pleasure of creating for you. Jada
I also asked if they would like in progress photos or would like to consult anywhere in the process? They said no and that they would let me do what I do best! If only all commissions gave me all this freedom.
Jan 2022 I started the process. I always refer back to my reference material and template while working. I think it gives me consistancy as I work towards a goal. If I make changes I write them down on the template, so I don't forget. Things I need to consider for a large piece: size of the kiln, type of clay, weight while working and finished weight with the stand.
Things did change from my proposal. The width and length were a bit larger. It took me 12 hours to make and 10 hours to glaze. I had planned a completely different stand.. I had the proposal murky enough to cover the problem so that what I ended up with was better than I had planned.
This is the photo I sent with the proposal.
My worry was founded in the fact that every fin laid on to the shelf during the glaze firing. If you look closely you can see the rough areas on the ends of the fins. I took a black epoxy paste and smoothed and filled in those places after I hand sanded and cleaned up the areas as much as possible. I also propped the front fins with one wad of clay underneath each one. I wiped the glaze in the spot and glued the prop. Afterwards I removed the props, sanded and filed in with epoxy paste.
I cut a pattern to see how it would look on the stand. Luckily I have a very good friend who is a metal worker who was willing to work with me on a deadline to get the stand made.
I epoxied a rubber stopper to the stand to go in the hole in the piece to give it strength not to fall off while it was drying. I also turned her over on her back, for drying.
This is the photo I sent with the proposal.
As the turtle was getting leather hard, I was able to find the stress cracks and repair. I used paper clay for the piece and added fiber into my slip when repairing cracks with solid clay, not just slip. Do not fill holes with slip, it is less dense than clay and will shrink and crack.
These are glaze tests. Variations of Jeff’s Long Beach Blue and Marcy Wrenn’s Dark Turquoise over and under each other.
My worry was founded in the fact that every fin laid on to the shelf during the glaze firing. If you look closely you can see the rough areas on the ends of the fins. I took a black epoxy paste and smoothed and filled in those places after I hand sanded and cleaned up the areas as much as possible. I also propped the front fins with one wad of clay underneath each one. I wiped the glaze in the spot and glued the prop. Afterwards I removed the props, sanded and filed in with epoxy paste. 
I cut a pattern to see how it would look on the stand. Luckily I have a very good friend who is a metal worker who was willing to work with me on a deadline to get the stand made.
I epoxied a rubber stopper to the stand to go in the hole in the piece to give it strength not to fall off while it was drying. I also turned her over on her back, for drying.
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