MAY

Curated at Tiresford

I am thrilled to be exhibiting with Stoneman Collins at Tiresford. A celebration of contemporary and 20th century British art in sculpture, painting, print and ceramic by leading artists including:

Sandra Blow RA. Stephen Chambers RA. Anthony Frost. Terry Frost RA. Nigel Hall RA. Howard Hodgkin RA. Christopher Le Brun PPRA. Henry Moore RA. John Nash RA. Ben Nicholson. Rachel Nicholson. Breon O’Casey. Conrad Shawcross RA. Emily Young.

4th May – 1st June 2025
Tiresford, Tarporley, Cheshire CW6 9LY
Enquiries: lizzie@stonemancollins.com

Peace II / Heddwch II

Patina, a personal experiment…

The term patina in relation to bronze conjures numerous meanings. For instance the hand-burnished act of devotion, time’s enduring action over centuries, or the very air we breathe, all leave their mark on the surface of bronze. Alternatively, the near instantaneous chemical oxidation of a metal to its mineral counterpart by chemical solutions can mimic the action that Earth’s atmosphere has over millennia…organic materials such as wax, oil, pigment or paint can be used to enhance the bronze surface and create designs that nature cannot.

My approach to patina is notoriously lengthy, often carried out in a series of short campaigns over days, weeks or even years. The time that elapses between each campaign is a measure of my displeasure or irritation with the last attempts, prompting the next reprise in an ongoing choreography of chemistry and fire. This dance between remise and reprise creates a layering of many unlikely materials in the vague hope of finding the moment where the bronze begins to come alive. I am reminded of the figure in Michael Maier’s Atalanta Fugiens seeking the wisdom of Nature by following in Her light and the evidence of footsteps, while forever stumbling hopelessly in the dark. A little perseverance helps. 

The following ingredients have all been used in this patina…

Air
Alizarin crimson
Ash
Beeswax
Blood
Cobalt oxide
Copper nitrate
Ammonium Chloride
Dirt
Flake white
French ultramarine
Graphite
Iron oxide
Iron nitrate
Oil
Ochre
Pine resin
Potassium dichromate
Potassium sulphide
Silver nitrate
Soot
Time
Titanium oxide
Turpentine
Water
Zinc oxide