Linny Kenney is a Musician/Artist/Leather Worker from New Hampshire. She attended Plymouth State University on a talent grant where she earned her B.A. in Music (Vocal Performance). She went on to continue her study of Classical and Musical Theater vocal styles with Neil Semer in NYC and was later invited to study and perform at the Neil Semer Vocal Institute in Coesfeld, Germany.
Music was and continues to be a huge part of Linny’s life, but painting has always served a calming, separate artistic avenue practiced alongside music.
Linny apprenticed with “Chief Talking Beard”, a master leather worker, in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2007. Chief Talking Beard ran his leather business in British Columbia and later in Los Angeles, CA in the late 60′s and early 70′s and graciously handed down many of his out-of-production solid brass buckles to Linny. He also taught her how to choose the finest latigo leathers and opened her up to a world of painted leather belts, bags, and key chains.
Linny worked under his wing for a few years as her own business began to take off. She has since created leather art for musicians such as Angus and Julia Stone, The Tallest Man On Earth, Tom Waits, Dave Rawlings, and others.
On March 1st, 2010, Linny began a 3,700 mile ride across the country from Los Angeles, California to Bath, New Hampshire on her Arabian horse, Sojourner. Her close-friend-turned-fiance, Walter Rowland, drove a small pick-up truck full of camping supplies and horse food. The ride ended 8 months and 14 days after it began at Linny’s childhood home in Bath, NH. The entire adventure was documented on Linny’s ride blog at www.linnykenney.blogspot.com. Many of Linny’s creations like the “wildflower belt” and flower cuffs were envisioned while slowly riding through the West’s incredible terrain in the Spring.
Most of Linny’s work is custom and very personal to the customer. The process involves a lot of communication between the designer (you) and Linny to create exactly what you are envisioning.
