Linda Nyquist

I am a Metalsmith Jeweler…

I have found that my creative journey begins as a form of day dreaming. Being inspired …by snow as it falls outside my window, by reading books with visual images of my craft, and by piles of Lake Superior beach stones as well as sand patterns on the beach. The way the water rippled when I sailed my boat, the reflective colors of the Bay on which I lived, and trees and leaves that imparted an impression of texture in my memory. All these things inspire me to replicate these memories in my own expressive technique.

Material inspiration comes from new rolls of silver and gold wire and sheets of metal waiting for hammered textures. A collection of brilliant gemstones ethically sourced in vivid colors and amazing shapes provides a view into what mother earth has created over billions of years. All of these materials are ready to be formed into cherished work. With each year I grow, a woman who uses hammers of many weights, metals of varying forms and thicknesses, and a treasured collection of gemstones. I move the metal with hammers to shape it, torches to heat it and melt it, and finish it by oxidizing and polishing it, to produce textures and shapes that compliment the end result of metals and permanent collections.

I stay true to my soul and create elemental and organic designs that carry raw and urban quality for me and you. Wear them every day, take them everywhere, they will never disappoint and yes they will become a part of you. They will transmit to you the energy that each piece was created with. The stones will give you earth energy, the metal will give you strength, and they will inspire conversation and allow you to explore your connection to your work. That is my story and it can be your story.

…. YOU too can be a Metalsmith Jeweler.