This large copper sculpture titled Father Sky is Watching Us attracted a lot of attention

Copper artist Charles Bellofatto comes by his art and passion for creating from a personal frame of reference but he also feels his ancestral Cherokee roots have influenced his direction in life. His mother was part Cherokee and he explained, “I learned those ways as a young man until my family converted to Christianity, but I never forgot who I was. Native Americans have a long history of working with copper, and many of the Southeastern tribes did a lot of copper smithing. Typically medicine men and chiefs were the only ones to wear copper on their body but other adornments were worn as well such as wrist and arm cuffs and beads. They wore gorgets, or breast plates, very similar to those worn by European soldiers. These soldiers used copper to identify themselves or their units, like dog tags, but they were also decorative,” he explained.

In the photo of Bellofatto, posing with one of his sun sculptures titled “Thoughtful Sun”, he is wearing a gorget that he created from copper sheeting. The gorget speaks of his heritage as well as his love of copper. His business card states his work and his passion in one term, Surrealistic Artist. “Because of the nature of surrealism, I’m more of a traditional surrealist and don’t care for today’s Nuevo surrealists. Surrealism appeals to be because it gives the idea that our perception, dreams and any number of emotions can be experienced in being one with the art,” he said.

Bellofatto has been a painter as well as a sculptor. “I’m an individualist. I started out studying sculpting and mixed medium, converting objects into art. I was in a junkyard, looking for pieces to work with and discovered a roll of copper in a trailer they called their ‘collectables’ trailer. I thought about copper for a long time and was strongly drawn to it and intrigued by it. I went back and bought that roll. It had been used in roofing work and was in pretty rough shape, but I was able to work with it. Now copper is my main medium,” he said.

“When I first started considering copper I saw that a lot of people were using it but their work was very repetitive and boring. I spent a lot of time studying copper smith techniques. From my experience working in a machine shop I learned what it takes to mold, form and bend metal and how to bond it together with a torch. I considered making jewelry also, but people don’t care for their skin being green so I decided on metal sculpture. It has been an evolutionary journey,” he said.

Charles Bellofatto poses with a large sun sculpted from copper sheeting, wearing his gorget.

Special requests are often unusual, such as the recently request from a European couple that were getting married. They wanted a spider to use in their wedding ceremony. According to Bellofatto, spiders are sacred symbols in Indian spirituality so he was happy to accommodate their request and the two pieces were used predominantly in their wedding ceremony.

For a piece titled simply “Lizard”, he experimented with several coloring techniques to create the brightly colored piece. He prefers to chemically alter the copper rather than coating it with paint. For this particular piece he used vinegar and 10-10-10 fertilizer to achieve the coloration but noted the fertilizer left a crusty texture. He also prefers using sulfur for achieving a black color. The lizard is 18” in length.

At the Ybor City Art in the Park event recently, just east of downtown Tampa, FL. Bellofatto’s large piece title “Father Sky is Watching Us” attracted a lot of attention but it was “Mother Earth Takes a Respite” that caught the judge’s eye. The judge was so taken with this work he awarded Best of Show for the sculpture and a check for $1,000 in recognition for his exceptional work. While his work has been featured in several galleries in the Tampa Bay area, but the best way to have an original Bellofatto copper sculpture in your home or office would be to call him at 1-813-935-1276.

For a great price on copper sheeting, contact QuickShipMetals.com.

Copper can be applied with a variety of glues and you can even find glue with copper flake that dries to create an embossed finish.

One of the best ways to add color, texture and variety to a scrapbook is by using copper foil, copper sheeting, copper wire, specialty copper ornaments and embellishments created for this popular hobby. If copper isn’t the color you’re looking for, QuickShipMetals.com carries brass foil and aluminum foil and just added stainless steel foil for a more modern techno kind of look.

Memories are the greatest gift you can give, especially to parents or grandparents, but friends and even children love them as well. The best way to preserve and share memories is with a beautiful scrapbook filled with photos and memorabilia that record the important moments in a life well lived. Scrapbooks are a very popular hobby now because it’s fun and it creates a treasure that will become a family heirloom as time goes by.

These colorful and artfully decorated collections may seem daunting at first, but there are many web pages and whole sites dedicated to helping you find that creative artist that is yearning to escape. Here are some suggestions I’ve found inspirational.

The key to pulling off a successful scrapbook project begins with sorting photos you want to use and putting them in an appropriate order for the story you want to tell. It may be chronological for a grandparent or perhaps just a fun book celebrating a child’s birthday. Once you’ve got the images you want to use in the order, the next step is to decide on a theme or color scheme that enhances the story or concept you want to tell.

Copper, brass or aluminum foil can be used to add a metallic frame around a photo, and razzle-dazzle to any page.

One way to tackle this important step is to look for things that trigger an emotional response or personal connection. Stores like Hobby Lobby and others carry huge sections set aside for scrapbooking and it won’t take long for you to find items that work perfectly for your personal design.

You’ll be looking for background colors as well as embellishments for the pages that augment the story or simply add a decorative color or texture. Something as simple as taking a piece of copper wire and bending it into the letters you want to words you want to spell out can really enhance a page.

Framing a photo with copper foil can really make an image stand out, but it also creates an emphasis on the page that is quite dramatic. Little things like copper brads, beads, and sheeting are ideal for creating eye-popping pages your loved ones will treasure for a lifetime.

Copper foil and copper sheeting is easy to work with, adds beautiful color and texture.

Using a piece of thin copper sheeting, you can create a wreath effect for framing an image that is quite dramatic. All it requires is a blunt metal stylus or even a pencil will work if it is sufficiently rounded on the point. Working from the back side with the copper on a soft surface such as a stack of newspaper pages, draw on the metal slowly and carefully to create the wreath pattern.  Once the wreath pattern is complete, and the photo attached, you can add colorful flowers to complete the garland effect.

The key to pulling off a stunning scrapbook is to let your imagination run wild and most importantly to have fun.  One thing I’ve found to be true with any project I’ve tackled is starting early is critical to enjoying it from beginning to end. If you wait until a week before it is due you’ll create a lot of anxiety and feel so much pressure that you’ll not enjoy yourself and take shortcuts that are disappointing in the end. Plan on doing only one page at a time and you’ll find they stack up quickly.

One tip for layout is to position a photo on a page so the people in the shot are looking onto the page and not off. If the person in the photo is looking directly at the camera it is not as critical, but if they are looking to one side or the other, your page will look more balanced if you position the photo on the page so they are looking onto it and not out of the book’s page.

For all of your scrapbooking projects that call for copper foil, brass foil, aluminum foil, stainless steel foil or copper sheeting, you’ll find the best selection and the best prices and fastest shipping at QuickShipMetals.com. If you’ve never worked with copper or other types of foils in the manner, you might want to get a feel for the various thicknesses that are available. QSM offers a sample pack of copper foil, and a number of different decorative patterns are available in a decorative copper sample pack as well. Since you’re starting your scrapbook project early, you’ve got plenty of time to experiment!

For other ornamental copper items such as beads, letters and brads, go to your local hobby shop or simple do a Google search for scrapbooking with copper!

Richard Bonk's Magic Mirror Mandala sculpture is on display beside Silver Lake in Silverwood Park, in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, MN.

The challenging aspect of a mirror is the image reflected by them. Mirrors cause us to contemplate the reflection we are confronted with each time we approach one of these remarkable surfaces. Depending upon your personal reaction, this refracted representation may be pleasing or displeasing, but it will always cause one to stop and evaluate the vision beheld before us.

Just as a mirror reflects the aging process of those who stand before it, close examination of a mirror also reveals clues to its own stage in the aging life cycle. For glass mirrors you’ll begin to see the effects of the rear coating as it begins to slowly deteriorate and separate, and woe unto those who drop and break one if you believe there is merit to the storied seven years of bad luck that will follow. Acrylic mirrors eliminate the fragility of glass mirrors but their lifespan is severely shortened by the ravages of exposure to direct sun, or the hand of vandals.

Such was the case for a work of art being displayed in Silverwood Park, located in a northwest suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This park is located along the shores of Silver Lake, with the primary focus on arts and the environment. In this tranquil setting, only minutes from bustling freeway traffic, visitors are provided the opportunity to relax in tranquil beauty. With such a setting, artists come to be inspired and display their work as well.

Throughout the park a limited number of works are on display, and one piece, Magic Mirror Mandala, is intended to cause visitors to stop and consider the elements of nature around them and the harmony that exists between man and the world we pass through. The artist Richard Bonk, of Minneapolis says he has spent his life considering “nature, the creatures, processes, forms, patterns and textures.”

In his comments about the work he states, “I spent countless hours looking for critters, setting up habitats for them, growing plants, and attempting to capture their essence in art explorations. I have experimented with drawing, painting, printing, sculpture and photography. Most recently I have utilized the computer to capture elements from nature through sound, photography, and other digital data sources, then transform that information from its ‘parent’ into an abstracted aesthetic portrait –often a mandala.”

The mandala is an ancient Sanskrit word that means both center and circle. While the concept of life’s circle and cycles has been used cross culturally over the decades, those who grew up in the 60s you may recall the song by Peter, Paul and Mary titled The Great Mandala. The lyrics to this period protest song challenged people to “take their place on The Great Mandala as it moves through your brief moment of time.”

In this work, Magic Mirror Mandalas, Bonk’s intent was to engage our human perception, in collaboration between outer and inner nature by creating four micro elemental worlds with mirrors.  Once installed in the park two issues became readily apparent; the first by a whiff of smoke.

Many artists take advantage of the beauty and tranquility of Silverwood Park to create their own art.

Within the park there are nine designated art circles that have been designated for larger sculptures in addition to other areas where sculptures and other works of art are on display for shorter periods of time, but this particular piece was donated and is on permanent display in a prominent location.

“What’s interesting about this piece of artwork is you see different levels of circular imagery in the mirrors and each quadrant of the circle is planted with plants and the mirrors are oriented north, south, east and west which gives different amounts of light to the different gardens, demonstrating how the various levels of light can cause plants to grow faster or slower depending on their exposure. It’s a little bit of a philosophical mandala mirror kind of thing but it’s also a straight up lesson in gardening that illustrates how plants grow. Although I did learn one lesson that the mirrors get so hot in the late afternoon that it actually set the grass on fire, so now it has some rocks around it so we don’t have a fire danger in the park.”

The next challenge proved to be more devastating to the artwork itself. Moffatt explained that Bork had wanted to use a more durable material such as stainless steel with a mirrored finish but the grant that he acquired to create the work wasn’t significant enough to do it properly, so he settled for using mirrored acrylic and the constant exposure to sun had deteriorated the mirrors to the point that vandals evidently felt they were a good surface to be violated.

Because Silverwood Park is a governmental entity working on a limited budget that depends heavily on donations, Moffatt was required to obtain multiple bids before replacing the damaged mirrors. Evaluation of the bids proved QuickShipMetals.com had the best price, but according to Moffatt, the total experience of doing business with QSM was beneficial beyond just getting a great price.

“I sent a CAD drawing so they could have the proper dimensions, and they custom cut the stainless steel and shipped it right out. I talked with a number of companies in the bid process and besides having the best bid on price, the people at Quick Ship Metals that I ended up working with made it a very easy and pleasant process for me. And, it took less than a week to receive the order,” he said.

The park encompasses 120 acres, which includes 40 acres of lake bottom. An estimated 200,000 visitors each year pass through the park, so if you’re in the Minneapolis area and want to experience a beautiful park appointed with various works of art that complement the environment, check out Silverwood Park.

Considering your own artwork with an eye toward mirror finish stainless steel?  Please allow QuickShipMetals.com to work up a price for you. At QSM, the price is always right, custom cuts are never a problem and the service is as dependable as stainless steel!

If you’ve ever seen a copper clad wastebasket or mailbox embellished with striking illustrations on copper foil, there’s a pretty good chance that it was created by Greg Hentzi, a copper artist who works from his studio in central Massachusetts where his family history is well established. His grandfather was a watchmaker who came to the U. S. from Switzerland, plying his craft at the Waltham watch company for over 30 years, and his father has a room in the Waltham museum that houses his personal collection.

With this background, you might wonder why Greg isn’t in the watch business. The answer is that he, as well as his father, took the wise council of his grandfather to heart. He said, “no Hentzi should work in a factory. He sat there, went blind making watches. So, my father became a salesman,” he explained.

Years later, Greg was a history major with a master’s degree in education, working on a master’s degree in history when he went ice fishing one winter day. He was joined on the ice by an old man he described as looking like Franklin Roosevelt. Sometime during the wait for a bite, his newly acquired companion commented that, “I believe the young people will save the country when Nixon gets through with it.”

Greg Hentzi decorated this mailbox with a drawing of dragonflies alighting on stalks of wheat.

Greg replied, “I’ve got two master’s degrees and I’m going bankrupt.” The old man asked him what he was doing, and he explained that he was trying to make lamps out of old wood planes. The old man’s response was simple in concept but difficult to follow. He advised him to become an artist because an artist can always make money.
The old man’s name was Henry W. Longfellow IV, a descendant of the famous poet who was obviously more skilled with his hands than the written word for he had been in the copper business for over 30 years starting in 1938, until he had retired. One day when these new fishing companions were through ice fishing Greg went over to Longfellow’s home where he was dazzled by a wide array of copper wastebaskets.

That first glimpse of these copper-clad creations was all it took to set the hook into a fisherman who was angling for a new career.

“Those wastebaskets were beautiful, but I didn’t think I wanted to go into that business. I went down to the local hobby shop and they had some copper, so I bought some copper foil and drew some pictures on it and went back up to see him. He asked me again if I wanted to go into the business and I said, yes, very much so. And that’s how I got the introduction.

After his first attempts at drawing on copper, Greg decided he should know something about art, so he took 14 art courses to improve upon his techniques. “Even if you have no talent you can develop a lot of skills in an art course. They can teach you how to draw. So, I started drawing wastebaskets with chickadees on them. If you do anything 10 times you begin to learn how to correct your mistakes. If you want to learn how to tie trout flies, they suggest you tie the same Royal Coachman 25 times and you’ll get better at it. My drawing skills got better and I was able to draw sailboats, then clipper ships and then the birds came in and I was able to draw the deer. So that’s how I got into it,” he explained.

From the basics of drawing images on copper, he progressed to learn about varying the colors through patinas, stains and plating. “With copper, you can antique it and make it different shades and different colors. I was very impressed with how I was able to silver plate it. You just came out with a very pretty object with it (copper) when you were done. So I’ve just gone on to draw 175,000 pictures in copper. It’s always a challenge, every time I draw one. You’ve got to be careful and watch what you’re doing,” he said.

For this box, Hentzi drew a flight of chickadees on pine boughs.

Regarding errors, which are inevitable, he advises, “ Sometimes you can put the copper foil on a piece of glass and use a piece of plastic to rub that line out, but you never really get rid of it totally. When you’re finished with the drawing you can antique it with a black patina and leave that area very dark and it doesn’t show up. When I look back on some of my first drawings they look pretty primitive. I think I’ve come a long way since the first couple of years. But even the first drawings were salable. I took them to stores and people bought them.”

After years of struggling he introduced his work to the Orvis catalog and the volume picked up. Soon his work appeared in all the major catalogs including Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops. He also got an order from Duck’s Unlimited for 3,800 black Labs on copper, but lamented that he was drawing those in his sleep. While those were the big orders, he did not start out that big. In 1973, when he was just starting out he was the creator, salesman and shipping clerk. Once he had enough baskets created, he would load his old convertible down with 100 baskets and hit the road. “I would make the rounds up the coast of New England coast, on the coast of Maine and Cape Cod, calling on small gift shops, and they would buy five or 10,” he said.

“Copper foil is kind of interesting because your forte is what you draw on the foil. I think a lot of people get put off because they can’t draw well and sometimes the foil has problems because the tool doesn’t slide as well. Or, you buy foil and sometimes it has this stain inhibitor on it, that makes the foil nice and shiny but then when you go to put your stain on, it won’t stick to it. Or, if the copper hangs around a long time before you use it, it gets tarnish on it and the tool won’t draw across it. It’s like trying to draw a Bic pen across sandpaper. When the copper foil is new, the surface is slick and it’s like drawing a pen across a piece of ice; it slips very nicely,” he said.
Through experimentation, Greg has discovered that soap is the best solution to combat the challenges of drawing on tarnished copper, but then he cautioned, “You have to wash the soap off.”

To keep up with the demand for his work Greg’s life revolves around copper. “I sit here and draw them every night. I can draw a copper picture in about eight minutes, onto the basket when I really get going. I can do about 15 or 20 drawings in a night from six until 11 and draw until my arm falls off. When I get 15 or 20 done, I go out into the shop in the morning and I polish those and lacquer them,” he said.

Although he has employed others at times, Greg now draws all of his creations by hand and then antiques them before wrapping them around the baskets or mail boxes. Once wrapped on mailboxes, he secures them in place with small rivets. On wastebaskets he uses a Pittsburgh fold to secure the copper but another technique he uses is applying clay to the back of the copper foil. The clay has two benefits. First, it maintains the raised elements of the repoussé drawings and the clay also helps the copper foil stick to the surface of the basket.

Although the downturn in the economy has altered some of his marketing outlets, Greg is now selling his wares on the Internet, but an artist who makes his living making waste baskets the reality is there is little time to waste. “When you have full-time work it’s hard to change very much if you know what I mean. Just in the last couple of years I’ve gone into big pictures measuring 2’x3’. I think if I had gone into those earlier I might have some of them selling them for a couple of thousand dollars apiece now. You can only get so much for a wastebasket or a mailbox,” he said.

Greg’s work can be found online at various sites, but he doesn’t have a website at this time. However, his work is so widespread that a search for copper mailboxes or copper wastebaskets will turn up many options to consider.

Meanwhile, if you’re considering your own artistic inclinations, copper foil is a wonderful medium and you’ll find the best quality at the best price at QuickShipMetals.com.

In this piece titled "Copper Swirl", Phillippa uses copper foil to add both color and texture to her work.

Phillippa Lack, known more simply as Phil; is recognized by the International Organization of Silk Painters as a Master Silk Painter. She has developed her artful talent over 24 years of dedication to detail, color and a passionate devotion to fine quality needlework.

Her work is distinguished by a love of bright colors, texture and innovative design elements using a variety of accents such as beads, shells and now copper foil. She acquired her love of color growing up in the tropical world of Jamaica and has been pursuing their ultimate combinations ever since. Her home now is in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where she balances her time between gardening and painting her beloved fabric, silk, when the winter winds howl across the high plains.

On the direction of her work she muses, “I do a lot of what I call ‘what if’ creating. I take a piece of silk and some sort of embellishment and say, ‘what if I do this or that’? Sometimes it works out, sometime it doesn’t.”

Copper came to her attention when she discovered the many and varied colors that were possible through patinas, and the textures that were possible with the use of copper foils. “I use the .001 thickness copper foil because I’m concerned the thicker foil might damage my sewing machine, but the .001 sews beautifully. I heated it over my gas stove by nailing it to the wall and holding the foil with a pair of tweezers to heat it. I had my wok handy with water and dropped the hot metal into it to cool. The colors came out beautifully,” she said.

This unfinished piece uses copper foil that has been run through a paper crimper to give it texture and a three diminsional feel.

Much of her work involves hand stitching and she laments the passing of this once common dedication to quality. “Hand stitching is common in England still today. You can actually make a good living in England doing hand stitching and embroidery. They have the first royal school of needlework. Historically, their garments were heavily embroidered, so they had to have people who could do this work,” she said.

She explained that during her childhood growing up in Jamaica she had an hour of art and embroidery classes almost every day in school. The tradition of handwork was handed down but she feels today, here in this country, young people want everything to be quick and easy. “I don’t mind machine work but the best work is done by hand. People say to me, ‘My aunt could do that on her machine’, but she couldn’t. Handwork is the finest work,” she insists.

Copper is also used in this piece to enhance the feeling of motion.

Phillippa first discovered the fine art of silk painting when she and her husband went to France to collect their daughter who was studying French while staying with a French family. “The lady was an incredible generous. She gave me a silk scarf she had painted. It was so beautiful, I wanted to protect it and said that I would frame it to display on the wall. She quickly corrected me, saying that it was to use and to wear. I was so taken by its beauty that I came back with some French silk dyes and a book that my daughter translated for me from the French it was written in. I spoiled a lot of silk learning how, but now I don’t spoil as much. I’ve learned to correct my mistakes,” she recalled.

Silk painting, she explains is an exactingly critical art. “With silk, once you touch your brush and dye to the silk you are committed, there’s no going back.”

In her artist statement she explains her devotion to this artwork, “The fluid surface of the silk dares me to play with its shifting textures. The fibers hold and release the tropical colors of my childhood in their own quixotic alchemy. From the sheer transparency of silk chiffon to the deeply-plied silk charmeuse, each fabric takes the precious French dyes from my brush like a willful child.”

Until the recent downturn in the economy, she was supplying five boutiques with scarves and silk fabric. Today she does custom yardage on commission and will do custom creations for reproduction in digital printing. But that is an expensive process, costing around $35 per yard for the reproduction costs alone. While that may sound expensive, she has created dresses from fabric that cost $95 a yard, and she explained, with the digital printing you don’t have to sit down and paint 20 yards of fabric the exact same way, yard after yard.

In the spring of this year, her work was on display at an exhibition titled “Silk Roads meet in Verona, Italy”. Phillippa also teaches her craft at various seminars around the country, but she is often frustrated with her students whom she says do not want to take time to learn their craft properly. Her advice for those who think they have arrived is priceless, and applies to other disciplines as well. “It’s what you learn after you know it all that makes a difference,” she admonishes.

“People have sent me aluminum foil to try but I haven’t used it yet. It might be ok, but the colors of the copper are so beautiful. I am so intrigued by the colors of copper. Looking at my supply of materials, it is time for me to order some more. I’ve used up most of the last order I made with Storm Copper,” she said.

To learn more about Philippa’s silk painting, visit her website, http://www.pkldesigns.com/. She also recommends two books for further study.

This Lustr’ed Cloth .. a fibre artists’ workbook of metals by Alysn Midgelow-Marsden. This book is published by Artfully Bound in the UK. ISBN 10: 0-9554048-1-9

Paper, Metal and Stitch by Maggie Grey and Jane Wild. Published by Batsford, UK. ISBN 0-7134-8918-9

To try your hand at creating with copper, order some copper foil from QuickShipMetals.com and let the colors flow!

Rob Koehl's multi-metal sculpture of a cutthroat trout combines copper and stainless steel on a forged common steel body.

By Frank Ross

Sculpting in a single metal medium such as copper or stainless steel can produce some striking works of art, but combining the two into a single piece to achieve variations in color and texture presents the challenge of joining two dissimilar metals with different bonding and heat dissipating characteristics.

Rob Koehl, a metal sculptor in Cottonwood, Arizona wanted to emphasize the shiny silver back of a trout with the warm red tones of a copper under belly. If you have ever considered working in a multiple-metal medium but avoided it because of the difficulty factor, perhaps you can benefit from Rob’s techniques and tips.

This piece is built on a base of 14 gauge common steel that is forged to achieve the curved body, and then covered with 24 gauge stainless steel on the top and 20 gauge copper sheeting for the fishes belly. Rob uses a plasma cutter, MIG welder and oxy-acetylene torch, and begins the process by drawing out an outline of a fish on the steel with a piece of soapstone. Although the tail gets cut off due to size limitations of his forge, and recreated later, Rob finds that it helps to establish the correct proportions in the beginning. When laying out the trout, he leaves a little extra material to compensate for the curve of the body.

Once the basic shape is cut out, the slag from the plasma cutter is removed and the steel goes into a forge to heat it up for shaping the body using a wooden stump and hammer. Although Rob has done it both ways, his preferred method is to braze the copper onto the steel body first and then clean up the seam by grinding away any excess brass from the brazing process before joining the stainless steel. He begins by annealing the copper, so it is soft and ready to hammer into shape around the curved steel body. The annealing process is achieved by heating the copper in a forge until it is black hot and then dropping it into water. Once the copper has cooled a bit you need to clean up the surface with a finishing pad or brush and treat the surface with silver flux.

“When brazing the copper, you have to bring the area up to heat equally and copper is such a heat sponge so you have to move the torch around quite a bit. It helps to elevate the piece so you can apply the heat from the bottom as well. With brazing you’re not stacking metal like welding. You want to use the capillary action the flux creates to suck the bronze into the gap between the copper and steel. I use Wolverine silver flux with a small brass brazing rod and a number two tip on my torch to join the copper to the common steel. Then I run a bead down that and join the stainless steel next. I’ve found that by attaching the copper first it allows me to braze the copper on better. Ideally you want to get a good half inch of soldered area along that line to make room for the next process,” he explained.

“Once I’ve joined the copper, I hammer it down around the body and go back and clean up the line with a grinder to remove all of the brass so I’m not trying to weld into the brass when I lay down the stainless steel. When forging and joining the other metals together, it’s important to lay the project down on a flat surface to make sure you’ve got a clean line. It will save you a lot of work in the end if you keep the fish flat,” he said.

To complete the look, Rob adds a ferric nitrate patina to bring out the black speckles in the steel in addition to turning the copper a deeper red. “Another technique I’ve found to add color is to heat the metal up and then brush it with a fine brass brush. The brass comes off and attaches itself to the hot surface and adds both color and dimension,” he added.

When the final buffing is done, the result is a trout so beautiful its colors are only challenged by the original cutthroat inspiration.
If you learn better by watching, check out Rob’s YouTube channel for this and other metal working techniques, or learn more about his artwork at robkoehl.com .
For all of your copper, stainless steel or other metal working supplies, shop Rob’s favorite supplier; QuickShipMetals.com.

A stainless steel backsplash, range hood and stainless steel appliances brighten a kitchen considerably, so it's no mystery why so many people are ripping out and replacing their aging kitchen decor. The most challenging task is picking the right pattern from the many choices offered.

This is not a scientific survey, but based on customer inquiries and purchases over the last year, it appears that people are accepting they will be in their current homes until the market turns around. The numbers of requests for kitchen renovation products seems to indicate they’ve taken the “bloom where you’re planted” approach and are remodeling the rooms that made them want to move in the first place.

Since the kitchen is the one room that breeds discontent the fastest, updating to a modern stainless steel look is the dominate subject on “Ask Frank” questions. The most common questions are related to selecting the right thickness, installation issues and occasionally care related inquiries? You’ll find numerous articles about stainless steel on this blog, covering all of the aforementioned subjects, but care is a subject that should be addressed because as amazing as this metal is, the reality is that it is stain-less steel, not stain-proof. This highly durable alloy is almost bullet proof when it comes to normal use and abuse, but it is possible to abuse anything. Fortunately, if you do something regrettable the recovery process isn’t that difficult with this resilient metal.

The term Stainless Steel describes an alloy, or blend of materials, that contain a minimum of 10.5% of chromium. Chromium is a chemical element that makes steel lustrous and hard, enabling a high polish, resistance to corrosion and discoloration. Bumpers on vintage vehicles were electroplated with chromium, which gave them the bright mirror-like finish that car enthusiasts admire so much. Travel almost any roadway today and you’ll soon realize that a Harley Davidson be a poor shadow of itself without the heavy applications of chrome?

The disadvantage of chrome plating is that it is only a surface application and stainless steel is an alloy combined at great temperatures so the chromium is blended throughout the entire thickness of stainless steel. Once the metal is rolled to its different thicknesses and the surface is treated with a variety of patterns, the elements complete the task naturally.

The remarkable aspect of this amazing metal occurs when chromium comes into contact with the air we breathe. When exposed to oxygen, chromium becomes passivated and forms a thin protective oxide layer on its surface. Although this layer is only a few atoms thick it is very dense, preventing oxygen from penetrating the underlying molecules. In comparison, when oxygen comes into contact with common carbon steel, it migrates down into the underlying material causing rust to form. And the most amazing thing is this protective layer heals itself when scratched or damaged.

The beauty, resilience, durability and simplicity of stainless steel is a powerful combination.

Normal care for stainless steel can be handled in a number of ways, depending on your personal preference. Stainless steel sinks need to be dried down with a soft towel if you want to keep the water stains to a minimum and the shine to a maximum, but for most homes you’ll only need to treat the backsplashes and major appliances once a week. Naturally that will vary depending with the number of little fingerprints you have in your home and what your personal expectations are in this regard. While this metal requires little care, some routine attention will protect and prolong its beauty indefinitely. The critical factor is to use non-abrasive cleaners and there are some more natural ways to maintain these shiny surfaces. In my younger years, I worked in a restaurant and cleaning up before closing was one of night shift jobs. All surfaces were treated with a soft cleaning cloth dampened with light oil such as mineral oil or olive oil and then any excess was removed with a dry towel. With an all stainless steel kitchen it was quite a lot of metal to tend but the entire kitchen really sparkled when we were through.

For watermarks in stainless steel sinks and surrounding backsplashes, try sponging on a solution of two teaspoons of baking soda dissolved in a cup of warm water. Use the damp sponge to apply the solution in a circular motion, then rinse and dry the treated surfaces with a soft dry cloth to remove any watermarks and fingerprints.
Vinegar is another natural option that does a great job of removing water spots. Just dilute the vinegar about 50/50 with distilled water to eliminate mineral content. Spray the surfaces evenly and wipe clean with a soft cloth. Any residual vinegar odor evaporates quickly.

Brushed stainless steel has a distinctive pattern. When polishing a complicated pattern such as this you must rub with the grain in very short strokes.

Sometimes accidents happen, like sitting a very hot skillet on a stainless steel surface. Exposure to extreme heat will discolor stainless steel, but all is not lost. Stainless steel polish will remove this discoloration but the downside for many polishes is their application requires heavy doses of elbow grease. Also, when using a polish that will remove discoloration or scratches in the surface of any metal, you must pay attention to the pattern of application. Make sure you apply the polish with the grain on stainless steel that has a brushed pattern or you could be altering the original pattern or creating additional patterns that remain after the original problem is solved. For stainless steel appliances, check to make sure the manufacturer recommends using polish on their product’s surface. Since there are numerous brands of stainless steel polish, instructions may vary so, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the brand you choose and remove all residues with a soft, clean towel.

Char-Brite is easy to apply and the shine lasts for a long time.

A polish that does NOT require any rubbing is Char-Brite. Simply apply Char-Brite sparingly and remove any excess with a clean cloth for a brilliant shine. Char-Bright removes dirt and grime, greasy film, water marks, it even covers scratches. Once applied, it immediately forms a protective coating on any surface, repels water, prevents penetration of harmful liquids, and retains its gloss indefinitely. It also preserves the surface against deterioration of all kinds! And it’s guaranteed not to contain acid, silicon, or any abrasive substance. It is also guaranteed not to powder or cake in crevices.

The beauty of stainless steel can be extended for years to come, with the regular care described here, and one of these several options should work well for you. However, if you have a personal favorite I’ve not mentioned I’d love to hear from you.

Decorative Stainless steel comes in a variety of patterns and for many the most challenging part of an upgrade is selecting just one from the many beautiful options. To simplify the process, a stainless steel sample pack is available to help you visualize how each would look in your own kitchen. QSM also offers replacement panels for dishwashers, and if your particular model doesn’t fall within the standard sizes, a custom cut is not a problem. For all your stainless steel or copper needs, contact the friendly customer service team at QuickShipMetals.com, or give them a toll-free call at 1-888-334-2177, and take the next step toward your dream kitchen project.

Adrienne and Jay's kitchen is now as functional as it is beautiful with all new stainless steel surfaces.

Jay’s wife, Adrienne, is a devotee of the Cooking Channel and Jay is a devotee to his wife’s delicious meals. These two factors considered at length, updating their 10-year-old kitchen was a project whose time had come.

While a glass-top cook surface seemed like a great option at the time, over the years it has become particularly problematic, requiring an excessive amount of time to clean and remove streaking after use. Back then, new white appliances were the thing but today smart homeowners are discovering the beauty and simple care required by stainless steel appliances and backsplashes.

Jay also added some classy touches like a small stainless steel shelve under the cooking surface where utensils are stored for easy access.

Once they agreed their stove had to go, Jay got on the Internet and started shopping. Soon after he had installed the new stainless steel stove they realized the microwave, dishwasher, and trash compactor did not match. These appliances were too new to just replace so Jay gave them a face lift with stainless steel replacement panels, however their Kitchen Aide refrigerator proved to be more challenging.

Although this appliance was in great condition, Kitchen Aide no longer made stainless steel replacement panels for this particular model. He widened his search efforts and found an online metal’s company that offered to cut the stainless steel to size but their price quote was $600 and more of a concern they would not guarantee the metal would arrive without scratches or damages in shipping. Also, they would not guarantee him that the edges where they made the cuts would not be unmarred. Combined with the high price of the metal, and the potential that it would arrive unusable with a “sorry about that” attitude from the supplier forced Jay back to the search engines, and that’s when he found a perfect solution for all three concerns.

When Jay discovered Storm Copper and QuickShipMetals.com’s world class customer service department his problems and Internet search soon ended.  After calling the toll-free number and explaining his dilemma Jay was provided with a quoted price less than half of the one he received and most important to him, he was assured that the metal was guaranteed to arrive without scratches or dings.

“I talked with a lady at Storm and she said shipping across the country was something they did every day. Even when I explained that we lived in LA, she assured me that my satisfaction was guaranteed. In a few days the order arrived between two sheets of plywood that were strapped together. I cut the strapping and unpacked it to find that it was in perfect condition. I installed it in the doors and the cuts were perfect. The pieces fit like a glove,” he said.

With plenty of room to work, and all stainless steel appliances, the only question now is what's for dinner?

Based on the photos he sent, their kitchen will be beautiful for many years to come, and one that would compare well with any on the Cooking Channel. Jay also added some classy touches like a small stainless steel shelve under the cooking surface where utensils are stored for easy access.

QuickShipMetals offers standard size brushed-horizontal stainless steel dishwasher door panels (19 1/8″ H x 23 1/2″ W) and standard lower panels (3 11/16″ H x 23 9/16″ W) that fit many models. If the standard size doesn’t work; no problem! Custom cuts are routine.

If you are considering a kitchen face lift that includes stainless steel or any style of copper sheeting or copper foil perhaps you should benefit from Jay’s lengthy Internet search, contact the fine folks that staff QSM’s customer service department. The prices are very competitive and customer satisfaction is second to none!

Toll-Free 1-888-334-2177

Robert Trout works with a sheet of hot metal, manuvering it into position carefully.

“In 1980, my wife came home with a book by Alex Bealer, called The Art of Blacksmithing. I read that book and looked around the shop. I had an anvil and a torch, so I thought, hey let’s start playing with this, it looks like fun! That started a lifelong pursuit of what I call a parallel path. I had a job working with metal that paid the bills and working with metal was my hobby. As a welder and tin knocker for over 32 years, I worked with sheet steel making duct work and stainless steel /aluminum and lead sheet and lead coated copper for roof flashing. I recently retired and now I work for joy,” he said.

Robert’s foundation in metal art began with steel, and he is a member of the Artists Blacksmith’s Association of North America (ABANA). However, in his early days of smithing he discovered there were about 5,000 blacksmiths nationwide and very few were working in copper. Since he knew that copper was king in the arts and crafts world as far as demand, he started ‘playing around with copper” about 15 years ago.

“There was some copper in the shop, and it’s kind of interesting, so I started working with it. Now the majority of my work is done in copper. When it is in an annealed state it responds to the hammer and is fun to work with. At first it was a puzzle to find how to best work with it, but after a while it became easy to work with and once the color was applied it became a work of art with a higher retail price,” he explained.

About 10 or 11 years ago he made the decision to become juried as a Roycroft renaissance artisan. Their headquarters is located near his home and his wife was raised in the village Roycroft restored. He took his wife out for lunch and they attended an art show there, where he saw a pair of strap candle sticks that caught his eye and captured his imagination. He went back to his studio and started working first with steel, and then when he was sure what how he wanted to tackle the entire project he brought out the copper and started work. In the Roycroft guild there are currently five artisans working in copper. Three are located in New York, one in Chicago and another in Alabama. Robert was admitted to the Roycroft Renaissance Guild in 1998 and was elevated to Master Artisan in metal in 2001.

Robert considers this ceremonial baptismal bowl to be his most significant work to date.

Robert is deeply committed to the Asbury United Methodist Church he attends, and he feels strongly that he and his work are guided by a higher source. So, it was perhaps appropriate that through this relationship he created what he considers to be his best work to date. The piece, a ceremonial baptismal bowl is another creation in 14 gauge copper; but careful and close examination of the detail work reveals a complicated series of patterns in multiple series of three, symbolic of the trinity that holds a particular significance to his faith. The bowl measures 24”, featuring three distinctly different hammered patterns. The stand that supports it has three legs and each leg is designed with three separate and distinctive patterns that continue the trinity theme. Making one leg with a bend is easy, but making three exactly alike is more of a challenge, so he created a custom jig to make the bend in the legs.

The stand has the same intricate detail as the bowl, with multiple repititions of the trinity theme.

Besides his love of working with metal, Robert has a real passion for sharing the knowledge he has garnered over the years. “About six or seven years ago I was asked to become an instructor at the John Campbell Folk School in North Carolina. In fact, I’m getting ready to leave in a few days to teach my annual class down there. They’re trying to get me to commit to two classes a year because the one class fills up every year,” he said.

The American master blacksmith, Samuel Yellin, had a profound influence on Robert’s work, and he offers this statement of Yellin’s from the 1930s to summarize his life’s work.

By hammer and hand thou craft does stand alone.

I love metal. It is the stuff of which the frame of the earth is made.
And you can make anything you WILL.
It eloquently responds to the Hand at the bidding of the imagination.
When I go to rest at night, I can hardly sleep because my mind is a swarm with visions of all the wonderful metal that I can create by hammer and hand.

From Yellin’s statement, Robert has created his own.

John 1: 9 – The true light ,which enlightens every one.

When I dine with my family at holiday dinner we use all candle at the table and on the walls, where much Joy, good food and wine are used for the celebration for the event of the day. I think much about this verse and what it means to me and how I live my life.

So in closing I hope this helps you understand me a little more.
My craft is a time honored craft that I work at every day, to make fine metal in the arts and craft style and mentor new crafts people along their journey of metal craft. As we remember the time honored statement;
“O the craft so long to learn, the life so short.”

This pair of strap candlesticks was created from an inspiration visit to Roycroft studios.

Not many people in life have been blessed with the position that Robert now enjoys. He loves his work, his family, his church and the life he has crafted from his love of metal work. Now he has people who are eager for him to teach the techniques he has mastered. “Life is good,” he said.

To learn more about Robert’s classes and work, visit this link: http://www.artsandcraftscollector.com.

Use a roller or mallet to smooth the edges before you begin this project.

Typically tin was used because it was inexpensive and readily available. While tin is still commonly used for reproductions, these simple adornments are now applied to copper for a more striking appearance and used in a variety of home décor items.

The techniques are simple and even young children are capable of creating their own works of art. The main qualification is a desire to work with your hands and a few simple tools. Patterns are available at most craft stores, or if you’re inclined and able, you could create your own patterns.

If necessary, adjust the size of the pattern to fit the piece of copper you're using and cut the pattern out so it can be attached to prevent movement.

My second daughter, Olivia, loves to make things and is very enthusiastic about doing anything with a hammer, so when she asked if she could do a metal punching project it occurred to me that this was a great learning opportunity. We home school, and everything we do throughout the day is used as an educational enhancement. Making a cake turns into a math lesson in fractions. Besides being fun, this project opens up several avenues of study from history to science and the practical uses of metal in our daily lives.

To begin, you only need a few simple tools and the techniques are readily learned for even young children. Olivia is 8, but she’s been doing crafts like this for several years. If you’re interested in doing a metal punching project yourself, or involving a youngster, one thing to keep in mind is that it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time. I gathered up the items needed for this project and then let Olivia do her own thing. It took her several hours, mainly because she worked slowly and carefully, taking a few breaks when her hand and hammer arm got tired.

Here’s the list of items you’ll need.

• Hammer or mallet
• Metal punches or nails of various sizes
• Punching pad (a piece of plywood and newspaper)
• Tin snips or heavy-duty scissors
• Duct tape
• Fine steel wool
• Roller or some round object such as a bottle
• Cotton work gloves
• Pattern
• Copper sheeting, medium weight

Work carefully and take your time. Holes punched in copper are permanent and immovable.

As I mentioned before, patterns are available at most hobby or craft stores. You’ll also find them on the Internet, but keep in mind that patterns are all around you, both in your home as well as the world around you. Even if you only have the most rudimentary skills in drawing, punching patterns are basically an outline of dots, and how difficult is that to do? If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, try your own hand at creating a pattern.

Once you’ve got a pattern you’re happy with, you’ll want a piece of copper that is a little larger than the pattern, so you can tape the pattern onto the metal and secure both to the surface of your punching board to ensure that neither moves until you’re done. To adapt the pattern Olivia chose, to the 4”x6” piece of copper we had to work with, I reduced it to 75% of the original size using our home copier.

To reduce noise, and protect the work surface, put several sheets of newspaper under the punching board. We used a scrap piece of ¾” plywood but thinner sheets will work. This particular sea shell pattern required two different size holes and we ended up using two sizes of finishing nails instead of the larger metal punches I had, simply because they made holes that were too large for the size of this pattern.

I’d recommend that you use a scrap piece of metal, the same thickness as you are going to use for your work, so you can experiment with punches of different sizes and also get a feel for how much force it takes to make a hole of the desired size.

Olivia shows off her finished project, framed and ready to display.

Typically the edges of sheet metal are distorted a bit from the process of shearing it to size, so you can use a rubber mallet and tap the edges down or use a roller, which works really well. If you don’t have a roller, you can use a bottle or other firm, round object. You should wear protective gloves when working with metal that has sharp edges that are exposed. Once you’ve got them taped down, it’s not necessary.

Take your time punching the holes, this isn’t a race and once you’ve put a hole in the metal that’s where it will stay.

When you’re finished punching, you need to put those gloves back on because the back side of the metal will have many sharp edges. If the back of the metal is going to be exposed, you’ll need to use a block of wood and metal sandpaper to sand them down smooth. A Dremel tool with a grinding wheel is also handy for removing the burrs. Use a fine grade of steel wool to buff the surface and remove any oils or tape residue that may have accumulated from handling and working the metal. A spray coating of Storm Copper Coat will keep the copper from developing a patina.

Olivia decided to frame her work to display in her room, and she enjoyed copper punching so much, now she wants to do another. Actually, she has several patterns she wants to do, so I better order several sheets or maybe even a small roll . . . .

QuickShipMetals.com has a great selection of copper for any craft project. Give them a call on the toll-free line at 1-888-334-2177 or log onto the “Live Chat” function of the website.