I was inspired to write about what makes copper so unique and special when I made a fun discovery inside a cave on an island off of California. I was poking along the rocky water's edge lapping the island, gathering seashells, when I crouched down and looked to the very end of a low and shallow cave. I spied something back there that caught my eye with its emerald green color aglow in the dark back of the cave. I thought perhaps it was an unusual bolder or cobble that was sparkling with a green and blue luster from the sea washing over it. I scuttled like a crab to the back and reached for the curious rock and found it was moveable! I wiggled it back and forth and then it popped out of the sand. It was the most unusual thing I ever encountered! It was like an open canister, squashed at one end with pockmarks and holes and the most exquisite shades of blue and green and orangy/red. It looked like it had been in the sea for a long time.

I paddled back to the boat with it, and excitedly showed my friends, exclaiming "What is this? What could it possibly be?" The guys resolved it first: it was a copper casing from a military weapon that had been shot at. Back in WWII, the island had been used by the military for training and target practice, which means my artifact had rested in the sea for seventy years. Because of copper's unique properties, the artifact grew more beautiful as it aged through the years.

Copper was one of the first metals the human race began to use, pre-dating the Bronze Age. Here is a wonderful source to learn more about copper and its history.

Today copper is valued for practical purposes (wiring). In fact, after the fire that swept through Malibu almost two years ago, looters came through our burnt-out homes and stole people's copper wiring! The looters hit the motherlode at our property and stole our copper tree fountains and beautiful copper pools, even though they had been burnt in the fire. Copper is a valuable commodity.

The beauty and magic of copper are best observed, in my opinion, by its use in art and most particularly sculpture. Especially sculptures that interact with nature's elements like wind and water.

For me, the best outdoor copper wind sculptures are made by Lyman Whitaker. These are a real treat that will mesmerize your eye and soothe the spirit as you observe the wind silently turning the sculpture.

A Copper Wind Sculpture With Patina by Lyman Whitaker

Our fountains are my absolute favorite way to see art made with copper. I love being in the workshop and watching as the leaves are painstakingly cut from sheets of copper. They are then molded and scored to create a realistic look of an oak or maple leaf. It makes me respect the patience required to create hundreds of these for each fountain. The leaves are soldered on to the tiny branches that carry the water flow from the bigger branches. Water is then pumped inside the tree trunk, where it travels up the tree and spills from the tips of the branches. It is quite a process but the finished tree is a true work of art.

Our Copper Fountains

A Patinated Oak Tree Fountain In The Winter

The magic of copper and a copper tree fountain its ability to change through the years as it patinas to those magical turquoise, emerald, and russet colors. Just like the 70 year old copper casing of my found artifact!

The Beauty and Magic Of Copper