Process · Technique · Material
Patina.
Rich colour &
depth on metal.
How chemistry, heat and time create colour.
THE BASICS
What is Patina?
Patina is a thin layer that naturally forms on the surface of metal when it reacts with its environment. Oxygen, moisture, heat and chemical compounds all play a role, gradually transforming the raw surface into something with colour, character and depth.
In nature this happens slowly. The blue/green of an aged copper roof, the warm rust of weathered steel or the dark tarnish of old brass. These are all patina developing over decades of exposure.
In the studio that same natural process is accelerated and guided by hand. Rather than waiting years for the environment to do its work, specific chemical solutions and controlled heat are applied directly to the metal surface, drawing out colours and tones that would otherwise take a lifetime to appear.
Far from being purely decorative, patina also acts as a protective layer, reducing further oxidation and helping the metal beneath it remain stable over time. Every Metal Canvas Creation is finished with oil which seals and preserves the patina, protecting the surface and enriching the colours for years to come.
The result is a surface that is entirely unique. No two patinated pieces look the same.
THE TECHNIQUE
Patina at Metal
Canvas Creations
Every piece begins as raw sheet metal - blank, reflective and full of potential. Once the landscape has been shaped and the surface prepared, patina is applied by using various techniques drawn from large scale industry to fine jewellery making, brought together in one piece.
Heat is used alongside chemical patinas to build up rich layers of colour - warm ambers, deep browns, cool blues and everything in between. The process is part science, part intuition and part the elements.
The colour isn't applied to
the surface, it is the
surface.
THE SCIENCE
Chemistry & Heat
The colours in my art predominantly come from chemical patinas, specific solutions applied directly to the metal surface that react with the material to produce rich, complex colours and depth.
The exact combinations used are the result of years of research, experimentation and development - a layering of techniques that give each piece its unique character and depth of colour.
The outcome is always influenced by the metal itself, humidity, temperature and time - which
is why no two pieces ever look the same, even when the same methods are applied.
Heat plays a supporting role in my process, used selectively to enhance
the depth of colour that the chemical process produces.
Part science, part intuition
and part the elements.
FOR REFERENCE - WHAT HEAT ALONE DOES TO STEEL
When heat is applied to bare metal without chemicals, the surface passes through a colour spectrum as temperature rises. Each stage lasts only a few seconds. Understanding this progression informs how heat is used selectively alongside chemical patinas.
Pale straw yellow
Straw
Deep straw
Brown
Deep brown
Purple
Bright blue
Dark blue
Grey blue
The heat spectrum shown above represents temper colours on carbon steel — a reference used across metalworking.
THE RESULT
Why no two pieces ever look the same
Temperature
Even a few degrees of difference
changes the colour that emerges
from the metal surface.
Humidity
The moisture in the air on the day
that a piece is worked on affects
how the chemical patina reacts.
Metal composition
Subtle various in the metal
itself means that every piece
responds differently to the same
technique.
When you commission a piece, you are not ordering a reproduction. You are getting something that has never existed before
and never will again.
UP CLOSE
Patina up close
Details from finished pieces - every piece tells its own story.
