I was born in Angola, Africa where my family lived for a number of years before eventually immigrating from the Portuguese islands of the Acores to Canada, settling in Toronto. Both of my parents worked with their hands, my mother as a clothing designer and seamstress and my father as a master carpenter.
When I was nine years old, we moved to a neighbourhood in Little Portugal, where 'old Europe meets 21st century style' (http://littleportugal.ca/home) in a blend of galleries, boutiques, and late night entertainment. There just so happened to be a bead shop two blocks away, a magpie's haven. Need I say more? I turned a childhood hobby into a successful career when I was "thankfully" laid off my office job.I started my jewellery making business in 1988 and called it " The Tima Collection" . I recently changed the name to "Lucia De Fatima Arts" because I wanted to focus more and more on art.
I am also a percussionist and have studied and performed with outstanding percussionists Glen Sorzano ( Serena Ryder's Dad), Nicholas Hokin, Mutadhi, Ron Cross and Armando Borg as well as drummer and vibraphonist Mark Hundevad. I currently play with Mark Hundevad's The Banned Band. I co-produced and performed on my musical mentor Jim Heineman's CD entitled 'Rh Positive,' Jim Heineman's Dream Band, and Live@Lorraine's, which was nominated for an International Independant Music Award for best Jazz song in 2011 for the title track . It won the public vote for the category and I produced a second CD called "Nature is Our Mother in 2014". It was judged by the icons of jazz music,including McCoy Tyler and Joshua Dewey Redman jr.
I've sold my jewelry to galleries and boutiques all over the country and the USA, as well as shows and festivals mostly in Southern Ontario.I designed for and sold penny jewellery to the Royal Canadian Mint in October 2019. I am now stationed in Toronto on Ossington Avenue in the Art & Design district of Little Portugal , where I create bigger art pieces in copper, painting and drawings. The same Toronto property is also my music & art gallery called 'Fatima In The Alley Music & Art Gallery" where I have drum workshops and music & art events. I currently working on an outdoor mural of the building.
My mission is to create unique,and good quality jewelry and beautiful artwork. I create pieces made from natural earthy materials that carry on the ancient tradition of wearing jewelry for healing, protection, as well as art for inspiration and assistance in times of transition and transformation. I also aim to create joyful live music events for the purpose of uplifting people as well as create a welcoming place for artists and musicians to thrive and share their gifts. I have open mic at my gallery three times a year as I love to encourage everyone to share theri gifts even if you are not a professional.My moto is, “Lucia De Fatima Arts, for Body & Soul.". Check my upcoming events page to buy tickets to my next event. LINK
ABOUT THE JEWELLERY:
Most of my materials come from business owners in downtown Toronto, some of whom I've had business relations going back 30 years when first starting out. Much of the copper I use is bought from recycling yards and some half round wire is manufactured by a company in the United States, as are the hypoallergenic niobium hooks used in many of the earrings designs. All of the jewelry is crafted using hand tools by me and can involve soldering ,forging, cutting, sanding, oxidizing in various ways, lacquering, resining and setting stones.
The copper chains are made of copper plaited brass and then treated not to change colour, though keeping them out of the shower will help keep the coating. As I move more into artwork, I will be using chain less and less and building my own chains with semiprecious stones and copper wire. Having done this work for so long I have a huge collection of materials and so I am committed to using what I have or recycling old jewellery.
How do you clean copper jewelry? Simply use soft steel wool, found at a local hardware store, or a silver polishing cloth. Most of my work is left as raw copper, and so it does darken over time but polishing with steel wool gives a lovely textured finish. Also, if worn often the oils in your skin will keep the copper shiny and bright.
Will it turn my skin green? The rings or bracelets might a bit, especially on very hot, humid days. It may also depend on your body's acidic levels, sometimes related to diet. Many people find copper jewelry helps for arthritic pains, and copper is antimicrobial, used widely in medicine. Many people also love the earthy, textured look of aged copper. For these reasons most of my copper work is left raw, however the necklace chains and findings are treated with a coating so you won't have to worry about a green neck.
