"Coastal Treasures" by April Ottey

Recyled Sterling Silver. 2022. This sterling silver and beach stone necklace shows off the intricate texture of the veins in a Salal leaf - which rings like a little bell as it brushes against the long weather-worn beach stone.  The Salal leaf is cast directly from a real leaf.  Feel it, listen to it, think about your times along the coast where the mountains drop into the ocean. The clasp is cast from botanicals and clasps just above the large stone in the front. The chain is 30” long and pendant drop is 5” from clasp to leaf tip. 

April Ottey is an artist living in Port Townsend, WA. She has her studio a stones throw from Discovery Bay where she creates contemporary jewelry inspired by the natural world. Her close up inspection of various stages of birth, growth, death and decay in forests, rivers and beaches has shaped who she is as an artist. She casts, fabricates and incorporates the textures and intricate shapes found in nature to create jewelry that places nature into a new context.

April’s work can be found in various galleries throughout the Northwest. She is a member of the Northwest Designer Craftsmen Guild and the Seattle Metals Guild. She has an MFA from Central Washington University and an undergraduate degree from Montana State University. She taught jewelry and metalsmithing at an alternative high school for 10 years until she decided to pursue her own work full time in 2015.

You can find more of the artist's work at www.aprilottey.com.