Hammering copper teaches patience. Each strike echoes through the studio and through your spine, reminding you there’s no rushing an element that’s been in the earth for millennia. Painting, on the other hand, invites spontaneity—yet the two crafts share an obsession with surface.
In this piece, I discuss how texturing metal panels informs the way I texture gesso, and how patinas inspire my color palettes on canvas. You’ll also see examples where metal fragments become embedded into acrylic pours, forming hybrid sculptures that hang as paintings but react like reliefs.
If you’ve ever wondered how to meld hard and soft materials in a cohesive artwork, I offer a few practical joining methods and finish options that keep everything archival.