The Warmth of Copper, Brass, and Bronze…

My idea of relaxing Saturday evening. Unless you've spent years doing metal work, it's hard to describe the satisfaction and also the kindred spirit you feel even watching someone else at their craft. I've met many artisans over the years, including ones from other countries and funny enough, we don't even have to speak the same language.

There's an undeniable romance in the patina and warmth of metals like copper, bronze, and brass that modern materials such as plastic can seldom replicate. These metals carry with them a sense of history, a testament to human craftsmanship that has evolved over centuries. Each item forged from these materials, be it a candlestick, a sculpture, or an intricate piece of jewelry, tells a story.

Their surfaces, which change over time, gaining character through oxidation or the touch of countless hands, evoke a sense of continuity and connection to the past. There's even pleasure in the weight of these objects, in the cool touch of brass or the way copper glows with a gentle, fiery light when polished.

In contrast, plastic, while versatile and ubiquitous, often feels transient and soulless. It lacks the ability to age gracefully; instead of developing a rich patina, it fades or yellows. The beauty of metalwork lies in its imperfections, the slight asymmetries, the hammer marks, or the subtle variations in color that machines and human hands leave behind.

These qualities offer an aesthetic pleasure, a tactile experience, and an emotional warmth that is both grounding and enchanting.

The romance derived from these metals isn't just in their visual appeal but in their durability, their ability to be recycled and reshaped without losing quality, symbolizing a kind of eternal life that plastic, destined for a landfill, cannot hope to match.