Meet Stephanie O’Rourke | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie O’Rourke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I have been using my art business as an opportunity to advocate for reptiles, amphibians and other creatures that are often painted in a stigmatized light. My hopes are to shine a new light on them and show the beauty and value in these animals that can teach us so much about our natural world. By creating and selling my artwork featuring these animals, I am hoping to help people see their beauty and celebrate their value. I also take a percentage of all profits and donate those to The Reptile & Amphibian Center of the Rockies which is a 501c3 nonprofit here in Colorado that is dedicated to rescue, education and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am simply just excited to be creating art that people enjoy. I create art that turns into fun merch like stickers, totes, earrings and t-shirts and I often bring them to reptile themed events or expos where I get to meet other animal lovers and start fun conversations with like-minded people buying my work. I think that is the most fulfilling part! I do come from an art background and received my Bachelor’s of Fine Art from Metro State University. Even though I went to art school I never really had confidence that people would actually want to but my artwork. I think a lot of artists suffer from this fear at one point or another. But now that people even buy a silly sticker from me off of Etsy, or commission me to paint their dog means the absolute world to me. I am beyond grateful. I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned along the way is to just make the dang art. Whether people like it or not, if it fulfills your soul to be creative, then do it. There is so much inner value in just creating something.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had friends visiting from out of town I would take them herping somewhere! Herping for those who don’t know is looking for wild reptiles and amphibians. Colorado has so much amazing wildlife and outdoor areas to explore.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe a huge shoutout to The Reptile & Amphibian Center of the Rockies. When I lost my brick and mortar retail business in 2022, I was looking for an organization to become involved with during my free time that aligned with my love of animals (especially reptiles.) I originally joined RACR as a volunteer but quickly became in love with the organization and all the amazing things they were doing. I was fortunate enough to become a board member and find “my people.” There are some amazing humans behind the scenes of RACR doing incredible things for not only reptiles and amphibians in captivity, but also our wild species, our environment and our community! Their dedication to education, rescue and conservation is unmeasurable. I am so proud and grateful to be connected with such an amazing group!

Website: https://www.newlightpets.com

Instagram: @new_light_pets

Youtube: @newlightpets

Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/newlightpets

Image Credits
n/a