Rustic Wrappings

Kerry Bogert

The autumn season is now upon us.  As I drove down our road, the sweet gum trees on both sides served as an arch.  The leaves are already changing from vivid green with a profusion of sweet gum balls to shades of orange, yellow, and red.  Nature has its own set of natural patinas.

This publication “Rustic Wrappings” has presented the reader with a lovely pallet of colors and the means of obtaining same.  I recall that in one of my metalsmithing classes we explored patination.  Harsh expensive chemicals were on hand.  One had to almost run a factory in order to obtain the expensive toxic chemicals that arrived in their gallon containers.

In this book, published by Interweave, there is the perfunctory list of tools, wire manipulation, techniques, findings, etc.  The exciting part of this publication is the presentation of patina recipes and sealing solutions.  We are taken on the road of discovery of liver of sulfur, oxidized patinas for brass, heat patina, and ammonia and salt water patinas, vinegar patina, potato chip patina, alcohol ink patina, in addition to rusting and sealants.

Once the author sets our gears in motion, the various projects are listed in a trip-tik like manner. Patina earrings, bracelets, necklaces, bangles, are stopping off pages.  Metals, whether twisted, flattened, hardened, embroidered, coiled, pierced, plated, etc., are incorporated into journey.

I felt like an explorer on a trip of discovery as I reviewed this extremely well mapped out book.