"She likes owls and nature, I like pine trees."

This simple request for a custom necklace worked out a wonderful design.

This is the illustration of our ideas together:

Knowing that she lives (and loves) the Hudson Valley, I picked an owl that is common here; the barred owl.  I have a mated pair that call for each other as they journey around my property and I just imagine them working as a team to locate food, enjoying a few good swoops for fun and then silently coasting into the shadows just before daybreak.  The way barred owls talk, reminds me of a good relationship; communicative and connected even in the darkness.

This area is famous for apple orchards and farmland because the people here still work the earth and hold agriculture close to the heart; hence the tilled fields of the Black Dirt Region and the picturesque apple trees.  The Hudson River Valley humbly but gracefully bears rolling mountains, and abrupt rock formations, so I also included two specific mountains local to their town.  Lastly, I made sure a few pine trees grew in the forest around a wild, grassy field, underneath a subtle, sapphire moon.  

I used several different finishes, such as a satin finish on the face and trees to make them stand out and a higher shine in the mountains.  I also carefully applied sulfur with a paint brush to create dark shadows and dimension in the tiniest areas.

Materials: 999 Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, and natural slate-grey Sapphire.