Coffee Break
Fiery red Catlinite takes center stage in this piece, inspired by the artist's Venezuelan heritage
By Tina Snyder
A miniature sculpture inspired by her Venezuelan culture, the Casitas
Series Brooch 1 is a favorite piece of Deborah Vivas, co-owner of Vivasmith with her partner, gemstone carver Melissa J. Smith. Spotlighting a red house at the end of a cobblestone road with an open door that invites you in to have “un cafecito” (a little coffee) under a starry sky, the brooch brings alive the bright and joyful colors of the places Vivas once called home.
Measuring 2 7/8 inches long by 1 7/8 inches wide by 1/4 inch deep, the brooch is fabricated in steel (with accents of 24k gold and 999 silver), sterling silver, and copper. To craft it, Vivas began by making a paper model. “I wanted the brooch to have a lot of depth, but also be very wearable,” she says. “It’s a bit of an optical illusion, as you can feel the depth but it’s only a quarter inch deep.”
Deborah Vivas & Melissa J. Smith
Vivasmith • Toronto