Artist Anilese

My name is Ani and I am the owner and designer of The Ease Collective. I was born and raised near Seattle, Washington and have had a love of jewelry and jewelry-making for as long as I can remember.

After graduating from the University of Washington in 2007, I moved to the Hawaiian island of Maui. I got a job selling jewelry at a gallery that specialized in handmade jewelry by local designers. I had the opportunity to get to know these designers and was soaking up all the facets of the jewelry industry. I was so inspired and had the amazing guidance and encouragement of the experienced designers I worked with over the years. I began metal smithing classes in 2013 and soon after I started my first collection.

I continued to manage the jewelry store and the owners were so kind to offer my jewelry a spot on their coveted shelves. Life was cruising along nicely and then everything changed... I met a guy. He is a pilot and to make a long story short, after 11 years on Maui I found myself back in the Pacific Northwest. I moved to Oregon, first a few years in downtown Portland and now we have settled in the beautiful Central Oregon mountain town of Bend. I still draw inspiration from the islands with the use of Tahitian pearls and organic textures. I now have the added inspiration of the clean lines of the city, the sleek silhouettes of aviation, and the beauty of the Cascade Mountains. Hence was born The Aviation Collection.