08 Dec Jeweler Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez
The December 18 Program will feature Robert Lopez, a self-taught metalsmith and jewelry artist. He has a studio in
Yucaipa where he both works on his jewelry creations and holds workshops. Robert will talk about and demonstrate
some of the techniques he uses to create an organically designed cuff bracelet. He will build the cuff using tarnish
resistant Argentium Sterling Silver and Titanium. He will be heat-treating the titanium to give it vibrant colors ranging
from bronze, magenta, purples, blues, yellows, pinks and greens. He will then fuse and layer several Argentium Silver components together without using solder. Fusing silver is walking the fine line between melting the silver and fusing it together. Robert will also demonstrate how to solder a stone setting to the fused silver and set a cabochon. Lastly the silver components and the titanium will be joined together with rivets using his Stinger Riveting System
Robert says he tries to design jewelry pieces that stand out from everything else out there. He feels he was drawn to fabricating jewelry due to it difficult and physical nature, forcing the metals and stones to transform into what he envisions them to become. He began slowly teaching himself to smith; accumulating his collection of tools and knowledge of the art anywhere he could, but feels the greatest aspect of his learning came from himself, as he endlessly experimented with the materials at hand. His raw and organic designs are fabricated with skill yet are free to grow without constraints or preconceived notions. His pieces are completely one-of-a-kind and made with his own hands, from sometimes rolling his own sheet silver from ingots he pours himself to grinding and polishing all of his own stones. Most of his pieces are designed with lots of texture, and layering, giving his pieces a very distinctive and distressed look.
The program is from 7–9 pm at the RAA Gallery, 215 E. State St, downtown, Redlands. Open to the public.