Rayen’s productive hand can also be seen around Whistler. Her jewelry is available for sale at Ruby Tuesday, small ceramic snowboards are ready to be painted by customers at Expressions Art Studio, and Rayen has been known to help Cary Lopes paint faces and create body art. She’ll also have a booth at the Whistler Farmers’ Market every Sunday starting June 20.
The longtime Whistlerite said she has always had a strong artistic drive, but she only started experimenting with jewelry design in 2003. Struggling to make pottery because of her rheumatoid arthritis, one of Rayen’s daughters suggested she try her hand at jewelry.
A friend showed her a few techniques, but it has mostly been a self-taught art. Rayen said she likes to experiment with new methods and designs, and she likes to put at least one handmade element into each piece — to include a bit of her own energy.
Originally from Switzerland, Rayen was drawn to artistic endeavours as a child. She thought about pursuing creative careers such as floral design or interior decorating, but her parents encouraged her to do something more practical.
“I always wanted to go on the artistic side,” she said. “I really wanted to create stuff.”
She became a pastry chef “so I could at least decorate cakes,” she said.
After coming to Canada in the late 1970s to learn English, Rayen ended up staying and running a chocolate business in Vancouver for 20 years. In the meantime, she discovered Whistler and became a weekender in 1991.
In 2001, she and her two youngest daughters moved to Whistler full time and it wasn’t long before Rayen’s artistic hobbies started to become a full-time passion. She still does a bit of catering, but her favourite place is her studio.
Rayen said nature is a huge inspiration, and she can spend time simply staring at a tree trunk or a rock studying the various matching shades of green or grey. Details that most people don’t notice, such as the way the rain changes the colours of a rock along the side of the highway, translate into designs and colour schemes in her work.
“The rocks — when it rains they’re so colourful,” she said. “All the different greys are made up of different colours and they all match.”
The 2010 Winter Games also inspired Rayen’s jewelry. She makes silver Inukshuk earrings and has a matching crystal necklace and earring set in the green, blue and white shades used in the Olympic banners.
Rayen’s jewelry is available at Ruby Tuesday, online at www.everydaypearls.net, by appointment at Rayen’s home studio, and this summer at the Whistler Farmers’ Market.
