Copper Colorado

My mixed media piece, Copper Colorado, was completed in two separate phases.  

My canvas was Phase One.  He came home with this plank that had been considered construction rubbish. When he told me it was a tread from someone's porch steps, I was intrigued.

I began to scrutinize it and noticed a smudge of antique copper paint that had been stomped into the grain, but no one had managed to stomp it off over its many years.  I noticed its receded soft grains which moved like canyon rivers and its hard grains became imposing Colorado Mesas above. I was motivated to uncover its textural treasures, and I cleaned it up as if I were an archeologist, so as not to disturb any of its landscape, but rather amplify it as is.  The paint smudge remained and became integral.

Phase Two was my realization of the purpose of the plank, which happened three or four years later. I stumbled upon some old battery cables that had big, gnarly terminals, and, more importantly, the copper wires were still sleeved.

I was hopeful that those noble wires inside were still pristine, and, on sheer faith, I did not remove them until the end of my production.

My goal became to create a three-dimensional sign of the word Colorado out of discarded and disregarded pieces of copper, piping, and assorted wire.  I wanted to feature the battery cables, and more interestingly, their heavy metal terminals all atop my distinguished wooden plank.  As is my standard practice, I wanted to make the piece without glue or adhesives.

The letters created with the cables (capital C and little o) were my first consideration.  Due to their weight, the battery terminals had to be located on the plank so that I could secure them and prevent them from flopping around.  I formed the letters in a manner that allowed that to happen. 

Once I was firm on their shapes and location on the plank, I determined how much room for each of the other letters was available and mathematically calculated their allotment.  

Each of the other letters was produced individually, in no particular order, and had to meet my criteria regarding size, and stature.  Each was contrived and developed based on items I had in my cache, as well, considerations were made for "things" I see here in Colorado; butterflies, turquoise tones, flowing water, flowers, and sunshine.

When all were fabricated, my next step was to compose them on their canvas and spell out (no pun intended) how each would be anchored, which was done visibly and invisibly so as to give the impression the letters were simply placed on top.  Once I determined how to tether each letter to the board,

 

I drilled the 65 holes, peeled away the electrical sleeves and stitched them all in place. 

Copper Colorado is 50" wide X 12" tall X 4" deep and weighs 13.2 pounds.