Beading and Birthing

Bead-weaving artist Renelde Napoli is ready for December 7th. That’s opening day of Quebec’s internationally renowned art fair, the “Salon des Métiers d’art du Québec.” She’s also ready for the birth of her new daughter. When is that scheduled, you ask? Also for December 7th…

“Maybe it’ll be a selling point,” she jokes. “Don’t artists with newborns have a certain appeal?” Appeal or not, one thing is certain: Napoli will be juggling babies and beads for two weeks at one of North America’s largest art fairs.

All jesting aside, some 250,000 people will see Napoli’s creations at the Salon this year. With unborn in tow, she and her team have been preparing feverishly for this prestigious event. “When you’re an independent designer, you have to do everything yourself,” she explains. “That means thinking of everything – from how your booth will be lit to, in this case, how many diapers to bring!”

No stranger to the challenge of raising a family while working from home, Napoli creates her unique pieces from her apartment studio in Montreal. A self-taught artist and expert in bead-weaving technique, the Parisian-born designer weaves her stunning jewelry from tiny seed beads and crystals. Working with freshwater pearls, Venetian glass, Swarovski crystal and lampwork beads, Renelde gives each piece its own unique flavour - and even its own name.

Infusing European aesthetic with fun, hipster chic, her combination of unique designs, vibrant colours and funky materials has earned her critical acclaim from clients in North America and Europe. Her innovative, classy and fresh style continues to garner accolades from clients and attention from major media (including recent appearances in Beadwork Magazine, the Montreal Gazette and Métro nouvelles).

In the midst of all the preparation, one big question remains: has she had time to find a name for the baby? “My husband and I are still debating that, in-between press releases and finding lighting rigs at IKEA. Let’s just say we’ve narrowed it to a few, and she won’t be named Crystal.”