Sergiy Nagorny
Meet the Designer-Artist
Where do you live?
Born, raised, and shaped in Kiev, Ukraine; I currently live and work and find my inspiration in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
What inspires you as a designer-artist?
Sometimes it starts with a stone--how do I emphasize its beauty? And things/ideas just start growing around it. Other times, I see someone else's beautiful work (like a link in Fire Mountain Magazine) and it gives me ideas on materials and techniques. Often, it also starts as a pencil sketch on whatever piece of paper I find at the moment that looks like scribble, then lines become thicker until they almost stand out and look doable in metal.
What medium do you work with mostly?
I work with copper and silver wire and semiprecious stones and beads. I prefer working mostly with copper lately because it gives so much freedom to experiment and create different designs without being too costly. I believe copper jewelry is underrated and should find its way into being more desirable, wearable art, considering it's rough but beautiful natural esthetics and health benefits.
Why did you become enchanted with this style of jewelry-making?
Having almost 40 years of professional experience working with precious metals helps to dedicate more time and thought to pure creativity. You know, like most often I don't need to think "how to?" or "can I?"; I see a wire and I want to form it, bind it with another material, make it shape itself and change color and characteristics with a touch of heat and skill. I also like that I don't have to frame myself to any limits--I don't make jewelry to any standard, or to please the boss, or that has to look any certain way; I am my own boss and free to express my ideas in metal and only hope that the result brings joy to someone.
Where and how do you sell your jewelry?
On my Facebook page, and at various art and craft shows throughout the Midwest.
What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?
What inspired this design?
It started as a pencil sketch of a bug in my notebook.
How did it come together?
The bug parts formed and came together as a pendant. The pendant couldn't just go on a simple chain, it deserved its own special links. Links got formed by rolling wire into flat strips and cutting the strips, which would curl from cutting. My wife said the curled copper strips looked like chocolate shavings as used on cake decorations, hence the name of it.