ABOUT THE SECRET COPPER SHOP AND MY WORK
Revised: Sunday, July 8, 2012

Copper makes sense outdoors. Whereas wood will weather and crack, iron and steel will rust, and plastic becomes brittle, copper ages to a beautiful green verdigris patina. The green patina is not like rust on steel, but acts like a protectant for the copper while adding a feeling of quality and antiquity to its' surroundings.

City air oxidizes copper more quickly, while the purer country air lets copper take its time going through the patina process. No two pieces evolve alike. The beauty, strength and durability of copper make it the perfect choice for patio and garden furniture, trellises, arbors, window boxes and yard art. Copper is also used to repel slugs from plants, an added benefit to using one of our products in your landscape.

I suggest that no matter which piece you purchase, whether it be for indoor use or out, please just dust with a dry cloth and let it patina naturally. However, if you want your piece lacquered to keep it shiny, I would be glad to accommodate.

American Weathervanes

Settlers from Europe brought the tradition of weathervanes with them to America. These vanes included fish, sea gulls, and even ships, which stood upon roof tops in coastal towns. Paul Revere placed a wooden codfish studded with copper nails for scales above his silversmith shop in Boston. Early American farmers created vanes in the shape of Indians, arrows, and wild and domesticated animals, especially horses.

Although copper will patina naturally in a few months, it is often desireable to speed the process along to give a piece a look of antiquity or to have it blend more readily into a particular landscape/roofscape.

The reverse is also true. If you prefer that a piece maintain the original "shiny copper look," I can lacquer it and the copper will hold its reflective/polished colors and appearance.

Custom Copper Weathervanes

I have come to realize, after 30 plus years of copperwork, that my "product" is not the easiest to market. After numerous shows and fairs, I learned that I had to meet thousands of people to get a handful of potential new clients. The reality is that no one goes to a town festival or state fair hoping that they can get a handmade copper weathervane for hundreds of dollars. A good roast beef sandwich, some fried dough and an amusement ride are more on the ticket. Mind you, I do enjoy meeting with people (to a certain extent) - but I am really about the work, my work... it's all about the copperworks with me.

My clients tend to have a current need, maybe their new building is now going up. Many are affluent, and can afford my work without thinking too much about it. Yet, I've found that many "mainstream folk" understand and appreciate the quality work of my craft and actually sacrifice to acquire it. I sometimes ponder whether it means more to either in the long run. Those are things you don't really ponder for long. Usually there is simply too much else to do.

The idea of a weathervane as a piece of art, a long-term investment, or as a personal statement or expression are the main reasons most clients find their way to The Secret Copper Shop. This type of purchase usually involves some thought and interaction. It's not likely that someone would call asking me to recreate something they saw at Walmart or the local Home Depot.

I've been doing this work for decades. There is no pressing the sale on my part. There is a particular matter of integrity to this type of work and the process involved. Clients generally need time to acquire a comfort level with my style, abilities, with what is possible with the metals and... with is possible with me. The same is true on the backhand of that. I look to see a person's enthusiasm to a project. It helps me be inspired to the real reason for my even doing this work... the smile, the joy, the excitement I see when a client views their completed piece for the first time.

I always try to meet, at least once, everyone I do work for. We discuss design, size, details, installation, and other concerns. We work out a common ground on pricing. Then, I begin the work.

For concept ideas, pictures and drawings often are handy and suffice. An e-mail or two can work. But - nothing beats meeting the client in person. Once I start a piece, it is always full throttle. I don't like to stop at all once I start. Lunch can wait, dinner can be reheated; start early the next day and keep at it 'til done. It can be somewhat obsessive. Somewhere in that obsession are the seeds of what makes each piece unique. I truly enjoy the entire process.

© 2005-2012 & Continuing, All Rights Reserved.
THE SECRET COPPER SHOP | 356 WELLSVILLE AVENUE | NEW MILFORD CT USA | 860.354.0783 | COPPERWORKS BY AL FERRIS JR.

SECRET COPPER SHOP | COPPER WEATHERVANES | COPPER MAIL BOXES | COPPER LIGHTING/LAMPS | YARD/BUILDING COPPER | COPPER OBJETS d'ART/CURIOS
COPPER REPAIR AND RESTORATION | ABOUT THE COPPER SHOP | CONTACT & GENERAL INFORMATION