Copper Tree

This week at New Leaf we’ve been resurrecting an old project in need of sprucing up (no pun intended).
Back in 2004 New Leaf Editions began collaborating with Metz&Chew of Muse Atelier to create an architectural detail outside the Surrey Public Library in South Surrey/White Rock .
The project began from scratch, with Peter prepping the plates for Nancy Chew and Jacqueline Metz to work directly on with sugarlift.

Next Nancy and Jacqueline traced out where the sugar lift should be painted…
And the image area was painted with sugar lift, then prepped for etching
(this one is tricky to see but mylar has been fixed to the large areas of the plate not to be etched, and another area painted with hardground)
(This picture is after the image area has lifted away, and the pressure washer is removing the last bits)
This custom made tray held the ferric chloride and the plate during etching. The plates are so large the setup had to be moved outside. (Detail below)

Once the plates were etched and held ink, the plates were printed on Japanese Tissue (Masa) and attached piece by piece to ultimately create a huge 5 by 15 foot print

Which then needed to be framed…
However, seeing as no one in town could frame so large an image, New Leaf set to work creating a custom frame.
Including custom milled moulding

Which brings us up to present day!

Recently the plates have been pulled from the library walls to be cleaned. We are taking this time to paint the image area with a black enamel paint and patina the copper surface to a golden nut brown colour.