THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 24, 1995 TAG: 9512210193
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Mary Ellen Riddle
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
The process begins with a stroll and ends with a treasure.
Everywhere Kathryn Boutchyard looks, jewels are lying in the sand. She and the sea share a creative liaison.
Boutchyard, 45, collects tumbled ocean glass and shells from the sandy shore. Back in the artist's Kill Devil Hills studio, she turns what was tossed by a wave, crunched under a shoe or buried deep in a foamy pit into pendants, chokers, charm bracelets, earrings, necklaces and pins.
By using what the ocean provides, Boutchyard offers affordable hand-crafted jewelry. And as if fulfilling the message in a minister's Sunday lecture, her business has prospered in direct response to her humble methods. This year, she had to hire a helper to keep up with the orders.
Boutchyard and her husband, Butch, regularly comb the beach for glass, shells and purple wampum. In a given day they can find up to 50 glass pieces. The colors normally include turquoise and shades of brown, green and white. Occasionally blue, red or orange is found, but Boutchyard usually must tumble some blue of her own because it's so rare.
Boutchyard knows she can't compete with her supplier.
``You can't duplicate Mother Nature,'' she said. ``There's no way you can make that glass as beautiful as God does. The shells, all of it, they're just so perfect.''
With reverence, Boutchyard enhances these humble finds with wrapped sterling silver, 14-karat gold and gold-filled metals. She chooses the stones from large wooden drawers filled with glass divided by color and condition.
The uncut glass will dictate the design. Wire is wrapped, bent, twisted and hammered in swirls and patterns around it.
``I work it so that the lines enhance that piece of jewelry the best,'' Boutchyard said.
The artist starts out with an idea, but at every turn and curve of the wire, she makes new decisions.
``It's never like I planned, but that's OK,'' she said. ``I like it to take a life of its own. I like life.''
Above her work space, jars of white and green glass line the shelves. The constant sound of the tumbler, or polisher, keeps Boutchyard company on the porch studio. ``It seems like it never stops,'' she said.
Boutchyard has been so busy filling orders that her husband has been appointed the official beachcomber. He goes out daily to help supply the demanding business.
As he walks, his keen eye looks for ``Nags Head'' emeralds and ``white diamonds'' lying in the surf and sand.
When business slows, Boutchyard takes to the beach.
``Since I lived at the beach, I may use the resources available to me,'' she said. ``I can't go out and buy a whole tray of diamonds, but I can walk out on the beach and enjoy the process.''
Boutchyard has always had a passion for jewelry.
``I don't care what you're wearing, you can put on a nice piece of jewelry and dress up and look classy,'' said the artist, clad in jeans and a gorgeous silver-and-blue glass pendant with matching earrings.
Boutchyard studied metal smithing and design at Appalachian State University and also studied her craft at the Jewelry Design Institute in Richmond. Her work is available at the Christmas Shop in Manteo, Crafters Galley in Kitty Hawk, Earth Art in Corolla and through the Outer Banks Style catalogue.
She also does craft shows. During the summer you can find her at Pirate's Cove Sunset Festival, a craft festival for artists that Boutchard helped establish.
Boutchyard, who has worked in many fields, knows she would have found a way to create with glass even if she hadn't worked into it as a full-time occupation.
``I always knew that this glass I was finding, I would make jewelry out of it. God took me out of real estate in spite of myself,'' she said. ``I went straight to my glass. It's all just lying there waiting to be used.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDLE
Kathryn Boutchyard turns glass and shells she collects on the beach
into affordable jewelry.
by CNB