“Painting on Copper” by Glenda Shaw Brown

As early as the 1500’s Dutch and Flemish artists painted oil on copper panels. These masterpieces are as beautiful today as they were hundreds of years ago. Oil paintings on this surface do not need art conservation because of the chemical properties inherent in copper!

This project is the result of research and experimentation with the unique qualities of copper. The color, the feel and the slick surface make it perform differently from other painting surfaces. Months of planning resulted in a specially designed and prepared workroom in a one hundred year-old barn. Purchasing two eight-foot sheets of heavy gauge raw copper was the beginning of a commitment to this art form. The copper had to be cut to specific sizes-sanding and grinding to made the copper “user friendly” with smooth edges. Experimenting with various chemical reactions was the next step in order to prepare for the copper to receive oil paint. The final product is a painting with exposed copper edges that remind the viewer of the organic and timeless aspects of the metal.