Photographing sculptural hardware out of doors and relying on natural light to do so is a daunting task. The time of day, cloud layer and sun position have to be balanced and each photo has to correctly frame the scene.
We were fortunate to work with a client who commissioned our Morphic cylindrical bronze handle for all of his exterior doors in a new home he and his wife were building on the coast close to Fort Bragg.
The clients began with 2 sets of handles and once they were installed decided to use the same style for all of their doors. The stand-offs for the outside sets were modified and shortened so that they would not collide with the shutters when closed and the client had the foresight to make a mock-up of the handle so that he could determine the precise length for the posts. As art collectors the clients understood that bronze reacts to air, sun, salt, and a multitude of other environmental factors and over time will develop a film of oxide on its surface. This holds true even if the piece has been patinaed before installation as the patina will continue to develop in response to local conditions.
Photo courtesy of a wonderful client - thank you for permitting this use
Perfectly framed and naturally lit
We finished these pieces using varying strengths of a mildly acidic solution over differing sections of the pull. We then re-burnished areas to highlight the natural bronze before sealing with a clear wax. While clear wax does slow oxidation it does not prevent the living patina from evolving with some areas becoming darker and other areas lighter where they are naturally re-burnished through use.
An oil rubbed finish possess an organic beauty that can easily be maintained by a home owner. If the finish becomes too dark, then gently rubbing the bronze with a medium grade scotch brite will return it to its original golden appearance. When using the scotch brite pad make sure to do so gently and in a non-directional circular motion to avoid scratching.
Willow back-plate note brightness of leaves Select areas were re-burnished