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Copper Lighting and Sculpture Art

Copper Lighting and Sculpture, also known as ArtScape Lighting, has been a custom copper Outdoor Lighting Company since 1999. We specialize in artisan designed, handmade, garden and landscape lighting. All fixtures are finished with a beautiful organic patina, or by request may be accented with a Tiffany Green Verde’. Patina coloration shown in photos may not be the same as the patina on the product you receive. They all eventually patina to the same color.

RETAIL prices are shown with the Landscape Lighting Images.  An LED bi-pin bulb and a PVC stake for soil installation is included with each.  Price includes FREE SHIPPING RETAIL ONLY. Orders shipped in 1-5 business days. Thirty five percent (35%) restocking fee charged on returns. Customer pays return shipping. All sales final on custom work.

LIGHTING CONTRACTORS, DESIGNERS, ARCHITECTS, are WELCOME. Contact Lowell at 612 490-2369 or copperartist@yahoo.com for more information and pricing.

All our copper products are created from Revere Sheet Copper that is hand-worked and brazed.

The FINE ART SCULPTURES are one-of-a-kind and cannot be reproduced. Contact Lowell for information about existing sculpture availability or share your ideas and I will discuss it with you, probably do a sketch, and provided you with a quote and timeline to complete your project.

OUR HISTORY

Working in the landscape industry in the 90’s, building water gardens with natural stone, I spent virtually all my time working with gardening ideas. In the summer of 1999, we built a five foot deep swimming pond in our farm yard between the house and the big red barn that is now my art studio.

My name is Lowell Pajari. I didn’t do this 400 hour project alone. My wife, Kate, and ten year old granddaughter were digging with shovels, carrying rocks, planting flowers and carrying the load. It was a group effort.

When it was finished, with two ponds, a stream, and three waterfalls running, it was time to start enjoying it.

I would come home from work toward dusk and soon it was too dark to enjoy the garden. So over the winter I began looking for landscape lighting that would look natural and complement the organic look of a water garden. Was I disappointed? Yes, I was. Nothing seemed to blend.

My wife said, “get some copper sheeting and make some lighting.” There was an Amaryllis in the kitchen window and I thought I would try replicate it. My effort didn’t turn out to be an Amaryllis but it became the Single Nodding Peony, the first lamp of our line of Lighting today. Someone wanted to buy it, so I knew I was onto something. A picture of the Single Nodding Peony is in the Accent Lighting category.

This is a self-taught skill. It was a huge learning curve especially the first couple years. There was a lot of design work trying to develop new functional and attractive styles. I drew patterns by hand and cut with a sheet metal shears. I had never worked with metal beyond high school shop.

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Flora styled lighting that would blend with the plantings was the goal so all of the first original designs had a plant theme. Using flora styled lighting in a garden setting is exciting and fun. You don’t need to use the same style throughout. You can mix the styles, grouping them and changing the theme just as you might do in planting your garden. Mixing it up doesn’t make it look mixed up as it would with ordinary manufactured products. Rather, it adds interest.

Sculptured Accent Lighting is a great alternative to adding Fine Art Sculpture to the landscape. Our Accent Lighting creates a focal point, day or night that welcomes visitors and inspires conversation. You will be flattered by the reaction and comments made by your friends when they see the beautiful look of Copper Sculptured Lighting. Besides being attractive it’s functional and a fraction of the cost of Fine Art Sculpture.

Lighting the water in the garden was important because we have koi and goldfish and we swim there at night. Standing the Monarch Caladium or Cattail Bouquet in our ‘aqua vase’ and placing it in shallow water is a great way to see your fish at night. Fish seek out the light.

Geometric lighting styles soon followed. The architecture of the house is the focal point of the landscape, so reflecting the roofline in the lightning fixture is complimentary to the overall look. The Gothic Pathway light is an example of lighting for landscapes or gardens with its cottage garden feel.

Mushrooms lights reflect the look of a log home.

It wasn’t long until I realized my methods were too slow. New World technology combined with my Old World methods was the answer. I bought a computerized plasma cutting system where I introduced my hand drawn patterns.

After the patterns are cut they are formed using ball peen and pneumatic hammers. The parts are brazed, using an acetylene torch, and copper brazing rod, than given an organic patina that develops into the wonderful tones copper produces as the patina matures.

The next phase in product development was making Fine Art Copper Sculpture.

Wildlife Sculpture is requested most often while more contemporary sculpture ideas come from people who want a remembrance or a reflection into something more personal.

Making Fine Art Sculpture is time consuming. It’s hard to estimate time because, in the case of wildlife, the species must be identifiable. For Contemporary Sculpture, the goal is to replicate the picture I receive from my client.

From a photograph or drawing the process begins by creating a pattern on the computer in a one dimensional image that can be worked into a three dimensional structure. The image has to be broken visually into sections that are than cut and are later brazed together. All the parts are cut in a mirror image. As the sculpture develops there is the process of stretching the copper, shrinking areas, building up some areas and grinding the welds. The sculpture is ready to mount on a base made to fit a pillar top, for instance, or be designed for other applications. I name, date and sign my Fine Art Sculptures. The Sculpture can be sealed with a UV resistant fixative, or left to patina naturally. Even UV resistant sprays won’t last forever outside.

We welcome retail and contractor inquiries and hope you enjoy our copper lighting and sculpture art!

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Our Blog

Copper Lighting and Sculpture – FAQ

1. What materials are your fixtures made from?
All our products are made using 16 ounce and 32 ounce Revere sheet copper with brass hardware. Copper brazing is used for construction. The only component not made in the United States, is the porcelain socket. We have experienced extraordinary reliability from this socket. Fixtures on the market made from aluminum, plastic and composites last 3-4 years before corrosion becomes problematic.
2. What about electricity consumption?
Choose a system with LED lamps. LED lamps cost continue to decline and the electricity consumption is about 80% less then what is used by halogen and xenon lamps. LED lamps last 40,000 hours compared to 4,000 for halogen. Our retail customers receive an LED with every fixture.
3. What's the best material for outdoor lighting?
The number one material is copper. It resists corrosion from fresh water, salt water, soil type and temperature extremes. It has strength, and beauty. It’s environmentally friendly and valuable.
4. Will you customize your existing fixture styles?
Customization options are available for all lightning products, including height, size, patina. Call us for that discussion. We encourage you to reach out to us with your thoughts and ideas. Sometimes the best ideas are yours.
5. Do you offer interior design or landscape lighting design?
We limit our design service to fixture and sculpture design, size and placement. We are willing to work alongside your designers, architects, and builders to achieve that professional finished look.
6. Is there a warranty?
Yes. I warranty all my copper work forever against defective craftmanship or materials. I don’t warranty the socket/wiring. However, if you receive a fixture with a defective socket, (zero defects in 20 years) call me and I’ll send you a new one ready to install. Free.
7. How are the fixtures installed in the soil?
Each retail fixture comes with an appropriately sized PVC anchor that’s about 10 inches long and threads to the stem of the fixture. Because some of our Lighting is larger and heavier than ordinary products, we manufacture our own anchors to assure stability of the larger, heavier and sculptural style lighting.
8. How do I figure out how many pathway light fixtures I need?
Our 24 inch tall pathway light gives roughly a 16 foot pool of light. So 16 feet apart is a good rule of thumb. It’s okay if the pools of light don’t meet. Shadows from light to dark should be part of the lightning scheme. If you walk there, it needs light for safety and enjoyment. Pay particular attention to change of elevations. If you use taller area lights, they have larger pools of light and you won’t need as many. You can mix the fixture types of this organic styled lighting in your lighting scheme and it looks great.
9. Can I add an accent light to our existing low-voltage system?
You can easily add an LED light to an existing 12 volt system using the appropriate connector to clip onto your main run of wire. If you’re purchasing a fixture to add into an existing system, please let me know so I can include the clip on contractors you will need. No charge.
10. How long does it take after I order before it's shipped?
One to five business days for most lightning. A lot of pathway lightning is in stock. If there’s anything that is going to take more time, I’ll contact the purchaser. Items that are custom sized may take longer. Sculptural work, other than lighting, is dependent upon many factors regarding completion times.
11. Do you have existing sculptures for sale?
Some are completed and are for sale. They are sculptures made to show at events and so there are periodically different ones. Contact us at 612 490-2369 regarding what is currently available.
12. Can the lightning or sculpture be kept from getting a dark patina?
The development of a dark patina can be controlled to a large degree by spraying it with polyurethane or another fixative. UV light will eventually deteriorate the coating but it tends to last quite a long time. I often spray the sculptures to help retain the depth and show detail that is developed in the process of working the copper.
13. Can I clean my copper lighting to restore its original luster?
The internet is full of suggestions on cleaning copper to brighten it up again. Most suggest using some form of acidic substance, from catsup to vinegar and salt. It’s true that the acid effect cleans and brightens. Without completely washing the acidic substance off, it will contribute to a greening of the copper. If you want to preserve it’s original appearance, they should be sprayed with a fixative pre-installation. There are also a number of commercial products for polishing copper. Rather than making a lot of work trying to stay ahead of what copper naturally does, enjoy the beauty of the transition of color as your copper develops its organic look.
14. Do I have to choose one style of lighting fixture throughout my landscape or garden?
When you are lighting your landscape using our hand-made copper fixtures and sculptural lighting pieces, change is good. Because of the organic, flora look of our lightning you can easily transition from one style to another. Think of it like plantings in the landscape. They change and compliment as you move through your garden. Some of the styles we offer have a companion. Such as a mushroom that has double and triple mushrooms as accent lighting. The Caladium has a multi-leaf companion area light called the Mini-Monarch Caladium and Monarch Caladium. The companion lighting is even more sculptural than the pathway lightning. With our custom lighting you can mix it up without looking mixed-up. With ordinary manufactured lightning it is not easy to merge styles without looking like a garage sale buy.
15. If I want a sculpture for the garden, how do I begin the process to get what I have in mind?
Whether you know what subject matter you want or not, begin with a phone conversation to me at 612 490-2369. If you have a picture to share, that will be useful. From a printed image I can develop a pattern and make your sculpture look very much like the image. Wildlife sculpture is made to be recognizable by species. Once we have an idea for subjects we can determine the best size or scale for your space. Budget allocation is an important consideration. Often I can utilize patterns from previous projects to save you money. Mainly, it’s communication that starts the process. There’s no obligation from brainstorming your ideas. It’s a process that shouldn’t be rushed.
16. Can I install the lightning myself?
Yes. Most localities regulations don’t prohibit homeowners from doing their own installation.
17. Do I need an electrician?
With low-voltage LED lighting you don’t need an electrician. LEDs give you a wider range of operable voltage than halogen or xelogen lamps. Therefore you aren’t faced with extra wire runs or voltage drop issues.
18. Can I use line voltage? (120 volts)
No, the LED lamps that come with the fixture are for 12v. systems only. Low-voltage has the advantage of being cheaper to operate and is much safer.
19. What's your return policy?
If the product is received broken or damaged, document it with photos, contact us, and we’ll ship you a replacement. Returns because of change of plans, the purchaser is responsible for return shipping and a 35% restocking fee. Custom work such as changes of size, style, etc. are not returnable.
20. Are there shipping charges?
No. For retail sales shipping is free.
21. Do you offer pricing for contractors?
Yes. Contractors need to contact us for their prices and to make decisions on their lamp and anchor needs.