Copper Repoussé
Repoussé , the process or the product of ornamenting metallic surfaces with designs in relief hammered out from the back by hand. Gold. silver and copper are most commonly used today for fine work. The process is distinct from embossing, in which the relief ornament is produced by use of dies.
The inspirational spark, was a copper repoussé in one of Frank Lloyd Wright's homes, that I viewed while on an interior tour. Julie and I had been looking for an art piece, or mirror, for the back wall of the dinning room, as of yet plain. After viewing this art piece, I was inspired.
That inspiration, translated into a journey the past week, testing my abilities as a cabinet maker, and a risk taker (never done this before) working with my favorite materials, copper and cherry wood.
The copper is 20 0z sheet from Industrial Metal Supply, The North American cherry wood is from Cut and Dried Hardwood, about 14 board feet of four quarter stock finished in a tung oil. Both copper and cherry wood are abundant at Herons' House inside and out. Most of it hand worked, made by craftsman.
There it is, in front of me, clean copper sheet, resting flat on a 1/4in thick matte of rubber, waiting.
There I am, standing above with hammer and handmade tools prepared to strike my first blow.
An image in my mind waiting to be transferred to unmarked copper. Too scared to scar a perfectly good piece of copper, I walked out of the room... Chicken.
A few hours later I revisited the cellar, treated myself to a taste of my 2006 Merlot, "I made that" I whispered to the copper in effort to get the copper to cooperate with my intentions.....so with a ceremonial splash of my last artistic endeavor on the copper sheeting... I hammered.
Thousands of blows over several hours with different tools and techniques, and a four panel landscape emerges of deer grass, oak tree, and a full moon.
The cherry wood frame was constructed to mirror the cabinetry work in the dining room.
