Leonid linkin biography of nancy
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Asymmetrical tabletop sculptures and wall pieces were a natural progression for her nature-based aesthetic.
Sculptural art jewelry, taking the sculpture off the pedestal and putting it on the body, was the next step. She soon opened her own studio in coastal Maine and founded Nancy Linkin Fine Jewelry & Sculpture, which she owned and operated for over 30 years.
Nancy Linkin
Jewelry artist Nancy Linkin's passion for metalsmithing began in her twenties when she was captivated by the age old process of forming metal directly with hammers. She was 64, according to a local obituary.
After attending the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Linkin received a master’s degree from Washington University in St.
Louis, where she studied under Finnish metalsmith Heikki Seppa and learned the anticlastic raising technique that underpinned her work. This fine finish accentuates the simple sculptural lines of her contemporary jewelry.
In June 2019, Nancy passed away after a long fight with breast cancer.
“Her creative vision was influenced by her deep love of nature. Her metalwork with clean, clear, curving forms speak of beauty that will endure.”
Linkin, who was a finalist for a NICHE Award for sculpture in 2008, specialized in sculptural jewelry produced in silver, bronze, and 18k gold. I want my jewelry to soothe.
During that time her line grew to over 80 jewelry designs, each made in a variety of sizes, available in a combination of sterling silver and 18 Karat gold. More recently Nancy made her unique jewelry available in bronze with a rich heat patina, reminiscent of her bronze sculptures.
To create her handmade designer jewelry, flat patterns are cut from sheets of gold and silver and hammered systematically over specialized tools.
Nancy’s success with one-of-a kind sculptural bracelets in the mid 1980’s encouraged her to add earrings, neckpieces, and pins to her collection. Once a piece has been hammered into its final form, it is filed and sanded, then buffed to a high polish. Soon she began to push the envelope both technically and visually, leaving the rotation form and functional form behind.
She once said that she wanted her items “to stir the observer’s inner sense of beauty. Spiraling tendrils, the curl of a leaf all were reflected in her flowing work. To be elegant, casual, and comfortable—like fine silk and soft blue jeans..”
She is survived by her three children, Jacob, Zachary, and Caleb Stern; her mother, Sophie Linkin; and her brothers, David, Joseph, and James.
Donations can be made in her memory to Code Pink.
(Image courtesy of Nancy Linkin Fine Jewelry & Sculpture)
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She eventually opened her own business, Nancy Linkin Fine Jewelry & Sculpture, and sold her items to galleries throughout the United States.Two people employed by the designer—Luke Sunde, who worked with her for 30 years, and Liz Allen, who has worked with her since 2014—have said they will continue her business.
A statement from the company called Linkin a “passionate, loving artist” whose “passion for creating beauty never ebbed.”
“She was a perfectionist in regards to its form, as well as finish,” the statement said.
She saw beauty everywhere, and the forms that inspired her the most came from the parts of nature she especially enjoyed. Her exploration of the traditional smithing techniques, raising holloware and forging, started with traditional vessel forms. As was Nancy's wish, her longtime friend and employee Luke Sunde has continued to produce her designs so that others can be inspired by the the natural forms and fluid grace found in her sculptural jewelry.
Nancy's passion for metalsmithing began over 35 years ago. She was captivated by the age old process of metal forming directly with hammers. "The hammer is simply an extension of my hand." Her exploration of the traditional smithing techniques, raising hollow wear and forging, started with traditional vessel forms. Soon she began to push the envelope both technically and visually, leaving the rotational form and functional form behind. Asymmetrical table top sculptures were a natural progression for her nature based aesthetic. "Natural forms have always fascinated and excited me: plant forms, earth forms, human forms."
Sculptural jewelry was the next step; taking the sculpture off the pedestal and putting it on the body. Nancy did a series on sculptural bracelets over the course of two years in the 1980's. The tremendous success of this direction encouraged her to expand the designs; adding earrings, necklaces, and pins. Over the last thirty years the collection has grown to over 80 different designs, each made in a variety of sizes. Her designs are available in a sterling and 18kt gold combination.
To create each piece, flat patterns are cut from sheet of gold and silver and hammered systematically over specialized tools. One a piece has been hammered into its final form, it is filed and sanded, then buffed to a high polish. This fine finish accentuates the simple structural lines and grace of her jewelry.
Nancy Linkin (pictured), a Camden, Maine-based designer known for her nature-inspired jewelry, died on June 28 of breast cancer.