Chris Zielski’s comfort food for the soul
“Large Copper Branch,” the wall piece that Cleveland Heights artist Chris Zielski has on display at the PNC SmartHome, features a strong vertical tree in warm cooper against a blue background swirling with texture and leaf shapes.
It’s an evocative nod to Zielski’s love of nature, done in metal etching — another love, which she discovered by accident when she was teaching high school art.
“I was researching non-toxic printmaking techniques that I might be able to safely bring into the classroom. They ended up changing my schedule and I didn’t teach that particular class, but I fell in love with the process and have been working with it ever since. I started Copper Leaf Studios a few years later, and now it’s where I work full time.”
Zielski makes copper maps and metal wall art from hand-cut etched copper and zinc, layering colors and textures. In addition to natural imagery, she does science-inspired art, too.
“What holds them together are the delicate surfaces filled with rich texture and color,” she says.
Recently she’s been working with photo transfer on metal, using her own imagery and scientific drawings and diagrams from the 16th through 18th centuries. She also does commissions using favorite photographic images provided by others.
“While art can have various political or social purposes, I see my artwork more as comfort food for the soul,” she says. ”I want it to be interesting and intriguing, but mostly I hope it helps create a warm, comfortable space. My copper maps are often commissioned by people who want to honor a particular moment in their lives. I love that my work gets to play such an important role. ”
Large Copper Branch, along with works by other SmartHome artists and designers, will be part of the SmartSale from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday Oct. 9. The SmartHome sits adjacent to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in University Circle.
