Claudio Lopez is from Mexico City and has been living in the US for several years, because his wife Irma Orozco is a Tejana. Ever since he was young, Lopez said art has always been a passion of his. “I have always liked to work with my hands and I cultivated drawing and art through my teenage
years and took up painting as an adult experimenting with realism, abstract and neorealism styles,” he said.
It wasn’t until 40 years later when Lopez sought to combine his artistic ability with a career that he became a jewelry designer. “As a child I remember visiting jewelry design shops with my dad who owned a jewelry and watch retail business in Mexico City and being fascinated as I watched the masters work with gold, silver and stones and then polish the pieces into shiny jewelry,” he said.
He began making handcrafted jewelry in 2011, and began selling at local events in and around San Antonio. In 2012 he launched his website but then realized he needed to study techniques to diversify his designs, so he enrolled at Austin Community College and learned the basics of metalsmithing and
stone setting, studying masters like Peter Carl Fabregé, Rene Lalique and Jacques Cartier. In 2016 he received his Associates degree in Applied Science in Jewelry at ACC.
Lopez believes that you have to be passionate about art and creation to try to establish a business where you use your imagination, your hands, and decide to show and sell the artwork to people.
“As in any other arts and crafts field, there are very supportive people and there
are others who are critical,” he said. “But if you know that this activity is your passion, the only important thing is to put your ideas into action.”
As a jeweler, Lopez says he designs all his jewelry and enjoys incorporating abstract design into his work.
“As a jeweler, I decide what to do the same way a plastic artist decides; the difference is that my media are metals such as gold, silver, copper and resin and the end product are necklaces, earrings, rings, pendants and bracelets,” he said. “I just have to know how to work with metals, fire and stones, which enhance my color palette.”
Lopez has some classic designs he follows, but when a client requires a custom piece and gives him a specific design he follows their example. He says his wife was the first one to contact the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) to
learn how to run a business to help him with the new business that he began 13 years ago, an Artisan Mercado where Latinx artists could have a place to sell their artwork. EGBI has various ways they help business owners through their business coaching, various training opportunities, and support services.
“Since then, we have supported EGBI and we consider that the mission of this institution is formative, helping people to start their businesses,” he said. “ In the past, we have also invited EGBI clients to sell at the Latinx art market, which is currently held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the first and third Saturday of the month in downtown Austin.”
If you would like to make an appointment with an EGBI business coach, visit
https://egbi.org/coach/ .