Stephanie Rehkopf is a jewellery artist who designs and hand-beads romance-inspired jewellery, combining vintage flair with fine art influences and a unique colour sense.
"I create with beads, paint, fabric, wire, wood and whatever else I can fashion into jewellery," says Stephanie, explaining that the artistic seed was planted in Grade 6 when she found students and teachers crowding around her desk to oooh and ahhh over her painting. "I had created something from nothing – the blank page – that evoked a response in others."
An eternal student, Stephanie has taken many classes over the years: woodcarving, pottery, stained glass, photography, jewellery and, most recently, encaustic painting. She draws on characteristics from each medium she has studied to add details to her work.
"I'm inspired by my materials, creating designs that show their natural beauty to best effect. Hand-drawn or hand-beaded pendants add a distinctive touch. Colour and design generate a feeling of romance. Viewers of my work remark on my ability to create a brand new piece and give it the look of an antique," explains Stephanie.
"I believe art should have a function: to embellish and complement the wearer."
Stephanie lives in old Fonthill with her "rock star" husband, Bryan, and their two hilarious kids aged seven and three. She steals time when she can, day-to-day responsibilities permitting, to lose herself in the process of creating something beautiful.
