Ron Lemoine, Copper Sculptor

Artist Biography/Techniques

MEDIUM : COPPER SCULPTURE

The greatest influence on my life and work has been the sea and the solitude it has afforded me. Raised in the coastal area of Southern California, the beach was always my second home. After returning from Viet Nam in 1970, I graduated from the Coastal School of Deep Sea Diving to become a hard-hat diver. The following years, I lived as a student of the sea, harvesting agar and abalone in the Charnel Islands, sailing the small boat Dane down the coast of Central America, passing through the Panama Canal across the Caribbean to Florida. My present home is on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. My sculpture pieces reflect and support the lifestyle I have endeavored to live. Ron Lemoine

All of my pieces are created using a direct metal process. Each piece is hand built starting with sheet copper that is cut to a particular shape, heated until the copper is red hot, then allowed to cool, a process called annealing. This annealing process softens the copper, which is then hammered into its desired 3-D shape. This annealing/ hammering process might be done repeatedly to a piece depending on the complexity of its shape. Various sizes of tubing and wires are used for their shape characteristics and strengthening qualities. A 97% copper alloy rod is used along with acetylene/oxygen welding tools to fuse formed pieces together.

Over the years, I have eliminated the use of machine tools in the creation of my pieces; and, at this stage, employ only snips, hammers, torches and various tree stumps as my primary shop tools. For coloration of pieces, I use many types of solutions that interact with the metal. Two examples would be ammonium hydroxide, which blues the copper and liver of sulfur, which turns it a distinctive black. A lot of experimentation goes into the application techniques of these chemicals. Temperature and humidity are always important factors to consider.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding my work.