Jim Linell

Retomamos as entrevistas que temos por costume facerlle ós artesáns que nos visitan ou cos que temos trato. Nesta ocasión lle facemos o cuestionario a Jim Linell das seis preguntas da EMAO.
-¿Como empezaches no coiro?
 As primeiras leccións que recibín sobre o traballo con coiro foron en 1966 nunha clase na escola á que ía. Gustoume traballar con coiro, e non tardei en adquirir un xogo básico de mateadores eu mesmo, e empecei a practicar con cada anaco de coiro que puiden encontrar.
-¿Como descubriches o nobre material?
Co tempo, empecei a facer cousas para un fabricante de selas, así como un montón de traballos de personalización con coiro para outra tenda de selas. Isto deume a oportunidade de mellorar a miña habilidade posto que realizaba pedidos para clientes. En 1978 fun a traballar para Tandy Leather Company. Co paso dos anos, puiden traballar con moitos dos grandes mestres do oficio.

-¿Que ten o coiro que non teña outro material?
O coiro é un material único. Pode ser gravado, moldeado, costura, coloreada, transformada en escultura, e moito máis. É unha fibra natural, e un recurso renovable. É un dos materiais máis antigos cos que o home traballou.
-¿Dentro das técnicas que coñeces cal é a túa favorita?
A creación de arte en tres dimensións é o máis desafiante para min. Rétame a encontrar os límites de cada anaco de pel; e o potencial do que podo chegar a facer con coiro utilizando estas técnicas é tan ilimitado como a miña imaxinación.
-¿Que peza tes ganas de facer e aínda non fixeches?
Estou a desexar crear a tamaño real, unha escultura en tres dimensións da cornamenta dun alce americano. É un proxecto que leva varios anos na miña cabeza. Tamén planeei un proxecto que unirá técnicas tridimensionais e o clásico repuxado do oeste.
-¿Que consello lle darías a alguén que está a empezar?
Alguén que estea a empezar a traballar con coiro debe intentar encontrar un mestre que o guíe a través das bases do traballo en coiro. E practicar moito e moi a miúdo.
-¿Tes algunha ferramenta "especial"?
A ferramenta que considero importante para un mestre é a coitela xiratoria. É o inicio e o final de moitos gravados en coiro.

How did you take your first steps towards leather? The first lessons that I had in working with leather was in 1966 in a class at the school I was attending. I enjoyed working with leather and soon acquired a basic set of stamping tools of my own and started practicing on every scrap of leather I could find.


How did you discover the “fine” material? I eventually started doing work for a saddle maker as well as a lot of custom leather work for another saddle shop. This gave me the opportunity to refine my skills as I completed orders for customers. In 1978 I went to work for Tandy Leather Company. Over the years I have been able to work with many of the great masters of the craft.


– What has leather got that other materials lack? Leather is a unique medium. It can be carved, molded, sewn, colored, sculptured and more. It is a natural fiber and a renewable resource. It is one of the oldest materials that man has worked with.


– Among all the techniques that you know, which one would you choose as your favourite? I find creating three dimensional art to be the most challenging. It challenges me to find the limits of each piece of leather and the potential of what can be done with leather by utilizing these techniques are as limitless as the imagination.


– What piece are you really looking forward to making and you haven´t made it yet? I am looking forward to creating a life-sized, three dimensional sculpture of a moose antler. This is a project that has been created in my mind for a couple of years. I also have a project in the plans that will incorporate three dimensional techniques and classic western style carving.


– What would you advice to a person who is just starting? Someone starting to work with leather should try to find a mentor to guide them through some of the basics of working with leather. Practice much and often.


- Do you have any “special” tool? The tool that I think are important to master is the swivel knife. It is the beginning and end of many leather carvings.