mary

Metal Art | Metalier Liquid Metal

Metalier Liquid Metal is the ideal vehicle for creating metal art. 

Our USA Master Distributors have trained one of their customers in the use of Metalier Liquid Metal textures. Herbert’s metal art creation is the product of his creativity.  It was made on his second day of training.  We can’t want to see what he will turn out as he becomes even more practised.

Herbert has used bronze to create the background textures for the ground, the tree and the sun.  The foliage on the tree is brass dabbed on afterwards.

Metalier finishes are handcrafted

All Metalier finishes are hand-crafted and are, in a sense, all metal art.  One of the finishes on the website is bronze jigsaw with black wax.  One of our Auckland clients wanted more high-polished highs and “moodier” lows.  Below is the finish we created.

Metalier applied to collages by New Zealand Artist Alexander Bartleet made them metal art

Alex’s genre is to collect everyday objects, mount them in a collage as randomly as possible and preserve them with resins.  He then finishes them with a variety of different media – acrylics and in one year Metalier liquid metals.

We worked with Alex in the metals of his choice – brass, bronze, aluminium and rusts and our Metalier technicians sprayed our metals onto the mounted objects.  Alex then completed the painstaking hand-sanding of the multitude of small different surfaces created by the many objects he used – an old casette tape particularly caught my eye.  Alex uses thousands of objects in his artworks that document the current environment he lives in.  Metalier is proud to be associated with an award-winning emerging artist.

Contact us to learn about how Metalier can bring metal art into your environment.

by mary

Copper Basins | Metalier Liquid Metal

Copper basins and sinks are elegant and beautiful

Copper basins and sinks are known for their elegance and beauty.  They make art out of workaday functional must-have essentials.  Copper basins and sinks create rich character and make the mundane into a thing of beauty.  With Metalier copper basins the ordinary and the regular become something that is a pleasure to use.

Copper basins have anti-microbial qualities

There is much generally-accepted evidence that copper is naturally anti-microbial.  So the surfaces of copper basins are highly beneficial in the prevention of the spread of bacteria.  Copper is, in fact, the material of choice for frequently touched surfaces where hygiene is of paramount importance.  Think healthcare facilities, rest and retirement homes and hospitals.

Health benefits of copper known since ancient times

The Egyptians used copper to make drinking vessels and water pipes and we bet they had copper basins and sinks as well.  Some had copper bracelets to ward off disease.  Although the ancient Egyptians and Greeks probably didn’t realise it, copper is an effective antimicrobial material destroying 99.9% of bacteria within 2 hours of exposure.  Copper basins are a great supplement for other standard infection control practices.

With Metalier copper you can love the planet too

Metalier metal is applied so finely that you use only a small amount of this amazing natural resource.  We can save it for generations to come while enjoying it every day.

The copper first lady has a commercial message

We mean the Statue of Liberty not Michelle Obama!  The statue’s recent restoration has confirmed that copper was clearly a good idea 100 years ago.  Now with advances in technology and with the availability of Metalier Liquid Metal, copper is an even better idea today, and copper basins a great way to enjoy copper in your home, office, workplace and health facilities.

The first lady’s message is:

• Copper for beauty
• Copper for warmth
• Copper for carefree maintenance
• Copper for the ages

Contact us to find out how Metalier can deliver, not only copper basins, but also green copper – in colour and ecologically too.

by mary

Bronze Patina – Metalier Patina Range

Bronze – green, gold, pearlescent

There are many bronze patina options with Metalier real metal coatings and the Metalier range of patinas.

Metalier’s M5 traditional green bronze patina effect

Metalier’s M5 creates the tradition green bronze patina effect which you associate with statues. You can use this patina to age all our metals – bronze, brass, copper and smoky bronze.  You can also use it on sheet and solid metals.  Just make sure that all surfaces oxides are removed before you apply bronze patina.  If you don’t, the patina will not be able to work its magic on the metal itself or you may get some very odd results.

You can use green bronze patina on letters too.

Metalier M18 creates a pealescent patina effect on bronze

Pearlescent bronze patina shown in our featured image is one of our most popular patina effects.  It creates “movement” which so many architects and designers are looking to inject into their designs.  It looks subtle and timeless.

Metalier M6 a gives a yellow patina effect on bronze.

This is another patina effect which creates a unique decorative finish.

Metalier bronze patina effects are a cold application

Many wonderful patina effects can be created using heat.   Our objective in designing our patina range was to create a patina that was easy to apply and reliable.  Patina application is art, however, and it is worthwhile experimenting with heating the substrate and applying heat – use a hair dryer or similar source of heat to create different effects.  The ambient temperature and humidity can also affect how a patina performs.  If you have a big job where you are looking for a uniform look, apply all the patina to all the panels or pieces at the same time.

Remember too that how diluted the patina is will affect the colour produced.  M18, for example, when it is undiluted creates a very dark colour.  Undiluted it is glorious pearl!

Experiment, learn, achieve – contact us for patina ideas.  We love talking about them.

by mary

Curved Metal Finish | News from the Workshop

Metalier’s Curved Metal Finish

Metalier’s Flexible Metal curved metal finish resulted from many months spent in research and development – testing and stretching the boundaries, initially at the behest of Weta Workshop.  The result was the product we’ve called The Film Series in its honour.

Curves have always been an important feature of Metalier’s coatings

Even before we developed the flexible, it was Metalier’s ability to offer a seamless and or a curved metal finish that was one of its most compelling features – think  domes, portholes, iron balls, and fund-raising eggs.

We’re stretching Curved metal finish boundaries even further now

Below you can see the sorts of things we are doing in the workshop right now.

First is the prototype of the panel system we are developing which will allow us to offer Metalier as a fine metal veneer.  We are working to create a curved metal finish that we can offer as a veneer to joiners and cabinet makers similar to the wooden veneer they use now.  So watch this space.

The curved metal finish of the little egg has been one of those moments of discovery and we’re kicking ourselves that we’ve been so slow to work it out.

Photography of metal to show its true beauty and potential has always been a challenge.  Flat pieces tend to look just that – flat and too much light creates an artificial bling.

But curves do it just fine whether it be on a little egg or on a prototype panel.  We’re very excited about the panel system.  The plan is to be ready to market later this year.

In the meantime – we can do curves on almost anything you like to throw at us – rails on which to hang clothes in shops, light-fittings and so on.

Contact us about your dome or egg and see what we can do.

by mary

Entrance Doors | Metalier Liquid Metal

Entrance doors make statements

About welcome, about meeting, about your home, about you, about your business.  We think they should also tease and intrigue.  They should also make the person who comes to them for the first time interested, curious and, maybe, excited and full of anticipation.  That anticipation might be about seeing friends and having a good time to together or it might be the door of a professional who is going to provide advice or answers.

Metal entrance doors at our project at All Saints Church solved a problem for the church and made a meaningful statement as well.

Metalier Liquid Metal makes entrance doors significant

No matter whether we are talking about offices or homes, hotels or shops, the entrance doors are significant.  Metalier liquid metal enables you to make a statement at your entrance way that doesn’t have to break the bank either.  You can look like a bank if you want to.  The Barclays Bank door below could be made using Metalier – it would be a fraction of the weight of the original and a fraction of the price.

Metalier means no limitation on the possibilities

Whether you want a grand old door or something modern Metalier door designs offer you many options at all levels:

If costs are an issue, there are many cost-effective solutions that will make your metal entrance door design a reality.  We can show you which metals and which finishes produce a fabulous door at a price to make even the bank manager smile.

We can coat one side of the door only with a Metalier finish and paint the interior side.  Sometimes this is the best design solution in any case.

If you want to go crazy we can do that too – just try us.  We have so many options and designs for entrance doors that we can show you.  You’ll be spoiled for choice.  But isn’t that fun!

by mary

Metal Veneer Rust

Metal Veneer | Rust will be a stand-out feature of the September Home Show in Auckland

We are saying thank goodness for Metal Veneer | Rust at Metalier this week.  The Home Show begins next Wednesday and we were asked today, Friday, to produce 14 sq m of rust for a stand which is to be built on Monday.  It’s fortunate that we don’t take our weekends too seriously – or that we have them on other days.

Water-based Metal Veneer Rust saves the show

Fortunately Metal Veneer Rust is one of the fastest turn-around finishes we do at Metalier.  And it is the water-based version of Metalier Coatings that has made this all possible.  And, we repeat, water-based finishes are available exclusively from Metalier.  You see, water-based coatings cure in 2 hours or so.  Our Metalier patinas “take” more quickly on the water-based coatings.  The iron even starts to rust as it’s being applied and before it’s cured.  Logical when you think of it as the iron is in a water-based binder.  There are many occasions when we say “Praise be to the water-based” and this is one of them!

Here’s the weekend’s programme for Metal Veneer Rust

Saturday morning spray and wait two hours for the metal to cure.  Sand the metal to expose it and patina it by 12 noon.  Allow the rust to develop through the afternoon and overnight - we won’t be watching it, although it is a lot of fun seeing the rust develop – and “No.  It is not the same as watching paint dry!”  Sunday morning – add more patina if required, let it do its thing for a couple of hours, then neutralize it and clear coat it with Metalier Nano Clear Coat, which can also be found in the Halo Surfaces range.  Now did you know that?

Metalier is proud to be associated with Intellisys & Ginn Lighting Design  – specialists in home automation and Lighting

Come and see what Intellysis and Metalier can do in the Designer Living Pavilion Hall 9 Stand  ALS10 at the Home Show from 10^th- 14^th September.  You’ll also see our favourite bronze lady carrying some flowers at DesignworX stand.

We survive on excitement and energy and this week has had it in full measure.  Looks like next week is shaping up to be the same!  We’re never too busy, however, to talk to you or reply to emails so contact us whenever and as soon as so we can get talking about what we’ll all do next.

by mary