Mike Sluder

I began my career working in top bronze foundries as a patineur 20 years ago, where I learned the lost wax casting process and the chemistry, hand skills, and intuition required to bring metal surfaces to life. Patination is an ancient trade, passed from maker to maker, yet it remains deeply responsive to place, material, and moment. Today, I apply that foundation to creating custom patinas on copper, pushing traditional techniques in new directions while honoring the knowledge embedded in them.