Patina is a chemical process that
alters the surface of a metal leaving a colored compound adhered
to the metal.
Patinas form on metal from exposure
to the elements, or are deliberately added by artists and metalworkers.
Patinas may be used to 'antique' objects, as a part of the design
or decoration of art and furniture.
The most striking of patinas is a
green or blue green surface created by slow chemical alteration
of copper,
producing a basic carbonate. It can form on pure copper objects
as well as alloys which contain copper, such as bronze or brass.
Patination varies with the reacted
elements and will determine the color of the patina. Exposure to
chlorides leads to green and blue, while sulfur compounds tend
to brown.
Perhaps the best known example of
patina in the United States is the bluish-green colored coating
on the Statue
of Liberty in New York Harbor, which is made of copper sheets
3/32 of an inch thick, roughly the same as two pennies put together,
over an iron framework. The copper has naturally oxidized to form
its familiar patina green coating.
At Copperhand we
apply our own patina compounds in the studio to create color, texture
and pattern, in concert with our unique ways of realizing designs using
negative space.
Patinas form on metal from exposure
to the elements, or are deliberately added by artists and metalworkers.
Patinas may be used to 'antique' objects, as a part of the design
or decoration of art and furniture.