Artist Bio
Megan Tomczak-Maxwell is a self-taught artist born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She mostly drew and painted until becoming enamored with metal after a friend gave her a sheet of copper five years ago. While working with metal can be challenging, Megan is intrigued with how the material can be unpredictably transformed with human intervention (by heat, chemicals, and engraving) and/or from nature (by oxidation). She enjoys how the precise shapes of straight edges of the metal intersect with the explosions of color that result from heat and oxidation to create something beautiful.
Artist Statement
For me copper represents transformation. When I start working from a clean, gleaming copper sheet that looks new, I know there are many stories within it. I love when I am gifted antique metal from friends or find old copper pipes, kettles, and bed warmers from salvage yards and thrift stores: I am able to take each piece, reimagine it, and give it a different life.
Etching copper has provided a way to incorporate many of the patterns and designs that I have enjoyed drawing and painting for so many years. The straight lines and patterns drawn onto copper allow for shiny clean copper to emerge from the dark chemical etched depths. Chemical etching introduces so many variations of colors and lines to pieces, I can sometimes get lost in the unique patterns created that can be out of my control. Then there is allowing nature to take hold of the copper and create the amazing bursts of blues and greens. There are so many ways to transfer copper, I feel like I have only scratched the surface of the possibilities.
Working with copper has provided me with a renewed creative life. With each piece of copper that I transfer, I hope that I am not only able to continuously learn something new but create something beautiful for others to enjoy.