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Stephanie Pasakarnis sees life through a world of fantastic visuals, colors and textures, but it’s the energy of all the elements that inspires her to create. She embellishes herself into every handcrafted piece capturing the essence of the things she loves. Those sources of inspiration date back to imagery of the small coastal New England fishing town where she grew up – everything from the unique artisan shops, to the architecture to the dazzling quality of the great Atlantic Ocean. As a child she spent many summers at the beach building elaborate sandcastles complete with the latest seaside décor – seashells, sea glass and sea rocks. As Stephanie recalls: “The beach is definitely where I began my life as an artisan.” Stephanie decided early on to pursue art, music and dance studies, where she was able to learn about and develop her skills. Such classes as drawing, painting (in all mediums), book making, sculpture, pottery, color theory, sewing and art history have all contributed to her unique and remarkable painting and art projects. But it was her discovery of the bead shop in her hometown that sparked her desire to craft jewelry. Stephanie was not only intrigued by beadwork but also by the history of the beads and gems and where they came from. When she was just 12 years old, her step-mother, an artisan herself, gave Stephanie the opportunity to display her pieces during an open house at her gallery. To her amazement, most of the pieces sold. As a result of her passion and her early successes, her art of jewelry making flourished. In January of 2000, after moving to Los Angeles, she attended a makeup school where she learned how to master special effects and fashion makeup. She worked as a makeup artist for eight years in film, commercial and editorial print projects where she had the opportunity to work with A-List celebrities. During this time, Stephanie also began assisting a high-end fashion jewelry designer. Her work allowed her to learn a great deal from a fellow artisan whom she greatly admired. | |||
