Collection: Gerald Tobola

Since I was a kid, I always had a fascination for leaves and trees. When I started to create my artwork over 20 years ago, copper seemed to be my medium of choice. I started by making copper lampshades, then I got curious and wanted to make something that I could hold in my hand.  The leaf entered the scene. In fact, I started making leaves during my HCCC residency in 2005. 

The process to create a leaf is pretty involved. I heat the copper (anneal) to soften the copper in order to shape the leaf and to work in the detail, by using the repoussé and chasing technique. The colors are achieved by using acids and metal coatings. The result I work towards, is for the leaf to look as realistic as possible.

https://www.coppershadetree.com/