"Exploring Copper Patination" is a four-month project exploring copper patination during the Fall 2024 semester at Cal Poly Humboldt. The focus of this project was developing, testing, documenting, photographing, and implementing 270 unique patinas across three categories: Oxidation, Heat/Temper, and Chemical Immersions.
All testing was conducted at the Cal Poly Humboldt Jewelry studio, and documentation was via spreadsheet, which is available as an open resource. At the end of the project, an artist talk was held alongside an exhibition that displayed all 270 patinas along with three distinct brooches, each utilizing 3-4 patinas within each category.
000-269 | copper, assorted patination | 1" x 1" | 2024 Panel display of samples 000 through 269. On display at the Cal Poly Humboldt SAG Gallery in December 2024 for the group exhibition "And We Do It All Again."
024056129173 | copper, assorted verdigris patination | 1.375" x 1.375" | 2024
195197231244 | copper, assorted temper patination | 1.375" x 1.375" | 2024
257258260 | copper, assorted immersion patination | 1.375" x 1.375" | 2024
Full exhibition display for "And We Do It All Again" at the Cal Poly Humboldt SAG Gallery in December 2024.
Brooch display for "And We Do It All Again" at the Cal Poly Humboldt SAG Gallery in December 2024.
Panel display for "And We Do It All Again" at the Cal Poly Humboldt SAG Gallery in December 2024.
Process Images
Brooch sketches
270 blank copper squares cut 1 by 1 inch
Set up for wrapping samples
First unwrapped sample (cheesecloth)
Miracle-Gro fertilizer
7 day fumigation verdigris with and without salt crystals
1 day unwrap samples
Organized bags of blank samples with stamped identification codes which corresponds with the index
Ammonia and cheesecloth (it's purple)
Broken jar that was not tempered. Broke because of frequent quenches of hot metal into boiling water.
Jar donation in the Art B hallway
Assortment of wrapping samples (twine, microfiber cloth, and lace)
Jars!
Jars for burying in sawdust
Vinegar 5% quenches
Assorted quenches
Sugar quench. Turns out heated sugar caramelizes
Sugar quench close up
Back side of sugar quench sample
Quench samples
Liver of sulphur and Coca-Cola
Set up for liver of sulphur immersions
Sample 254 immediately after applying Liver of Sulphur + cold distilled water
Sample 257 immediately after applying Liver of Sulphur + hot espresso
Back side of Sample 257 immediately after applying Liver of Sulphur + hot espresso
Sample 258 immediately after applying Liver of Sulphur + Coca-Cola
Back side of Sample 258 immediately after applying Liver of Sulphur + Coca-Cola
Sample 259 immediately after applying Liver of Sulphur + Vinegar 5%
Jars! with rice!
More jars. These are filled with crushed potato chips
Detail shot of sample in half-filled jar of rice
Samples for 1 day rice burying experiments
Kiln sample set up
Kiln samples with and without soldered scrap
Rice and soil burying samples
Soil set up for burying (featuring Abbott Elementary in order to not go insane because of the time-intensive process of filling jars with soil, metal, and an assortment of different liquids).
Brooch piece with hammered wire design
In progress brooch cutting
"195197231244" brooch before patination and rivets
"257258260" brooch before patination and rivets
"024056129173" brooch before patination and rivets
Hot plate temperature for immersions
Double boiler set up for chemical immersions (ventilation is on)
Sample immersed in double boiler
Dried chemical ingredients for immersion sample in the double boiler
Finished solution after completed immersion
Homemade Rokusho mixture to create Rokusho crystals
Separation of paste Rokusho from liquid. Placed into coffee filters to continue the separation process of the paste from the excess liquid.
Spreading the paste-Rokusho to dry for several weeks to create Rokusho crystals for future patination testing
Paste-Rokusho in double boiler (should've been the dried crystal Rokusho, but there was a time crunch)
Double double-boiler
Crazy chemical experiment (sample 260)
Detail shot of sample 260 immediately after removing from solution
"257258260" brooch after applying sample techniques to each component but before riveting.
"195197231244" brooch components before assembly
"195197231244" brooch components all together
Finished brooches
Sample photography set up (took 1 week to take 540 photos)
So many files
Doing math for the panel display for the samples in the painting studio wood shop
Grid for all the holes that need to be hammered for each sample
Created a wall cleat on the back of the board
Finished painting the board
Hammering process
Hammering process detail
Finished hammering process
Drilled wall cleat into the wall of the gallery space for the display board to hang off of
Display board hung onto the wall of the gallery with each sample hung onto the nails in order from sample 000 to 269
Brooches in the display case
Finished exhibition section for the patination project