About The Polymer Arts magazine ... for the serious polymer clay artist

The magazine, an English language quarterly with a first issue that came out in August of 2011, is available in both digital and print versions. Planned content will include a rotation of in-depth articles on polymer issues, design, techniques, personal experience, events, and marketing & sales ideas as well as thorough product reviews, multiple artist galleries, the most complete resource list on polymer anywhere, and more.

The Polymer Arts is not like other polymer and craft magazines. Why not?

Some people expect that this magazine is going to be like so many other craft magazines in our field, but we don't focus on product tutorials or use up precious page space with instruction on the basics of working with polymer. Why is this? Well, it's because we aren't trying to write for the majority of the market but rather to the portion that is truly serious about polymer as an art form, who invest a lot of time and money perfecting their skills and growing a business from their art.

The Polymer Arts is an informational magazine not a how-to/tutorial magazine. Although how-to craft magazines are more common, so are the wonderful weekend/hobby crafters, which is not, however, the magazine’s market. The format and content were created from querying polymer artists about what they would like in a magazine. This is a magazine for professional and aspiring polymer artists who want to know not how to make what others make but how to improve their own art and succeed as a respected and in-demand artist.

There is a tremendous resource in both of the other polymer magazines as well as online for advice and product tutorials for the budding polymer clayer. I wouldn’t say it’s quite a saturated area but the community isn't short of that kind of material. What is missing is more in-depth information on actual design concepts, selling and marketing advice, how to better work and live an artist’s life as well as a wider exposure to gallery level art work. This is what was requested from the market targeted and I’m thrilled that there is the interest and enthusiasm to warrant building such a magazine.

I do get asked why, at this point, so many of the article’s are written by me … well that’s just the nature of being a new magazine, the home-grown idea of an individual with a very limited budget, and having a market that isn’t familiar with writing these kinds of articles ... yet. The majority of the Spring issue is written by other people but I will continue to contribute as I do enjoy being part of the conversation. As we grow and time passes, there will be more and more articles by others (I certainly hope! This is a lot of work for one person, I can tell ya!) We just need to build the resources that will bring more professional level ideas to the magazine from a wider range of people.

This type of professional level magazine is what every major art form has at least one of (See “Fiber Arts”, “Ceramics Now”, “Art Doll Quarterly”, etc.) And I thought it was time we had a professional level magazine too. It will not satisfy many of those who are still forming their personal aesthetic and preference of form and crave more instruction to build their knowledge. I have had emails from some who are new to polymer who know the magazine is a next step they aren’t at yet but continue to subscribe as that level is a goal and the magazine a motivation for them. I love that.

It’d be pretty cool if there was a magic formula that we could use to build a periodical that everybody likes but there’s not, and at the end of the day, would we really want that? We’re still learning and growing here but we’ll stay focused on the professional and soon-to-be professional artist and hope we can do our part to raise awareness and respect for a most amazing art medium.

What's in Winter 2011/Issue #2?

How about a quick glance over the Table of Contents:

--Editor's Worktable
--Reader’s Round Robin
--Filling Up Your Well of Creativity by Christi Friesen
--To Measure or Not to Measure
--Elabradorite A reflective, layered faux semi-precious stone
--Wax Impression Create designs for embossing & faux leading in wax
--Makin’s ® Clay Is there really such a things as air-day Polymer?
--CaBezels Playing with cabochon & bezel molds
--Keep Artwork from Being a Pain in the Neck
--Sharing Our Polymer Passion by Barbara McGuire
--Create a Wildly Successful Workshop
--Sharing Your Passion for Fun and Profit
--Christine K. Harris Artist, Teacher, & Therapist
--2011 IPCA Retreat by Susan O’Neill
--Mentor’s Gallery --Alice Stroppel
--Mentor’s Gallery --Iris Mishly
--Emerging Artist Gallery --Christa McKibben
--Emerging Artist Gallery --Laurel Steven
--Inspiration Challenge Gallery
--Contributor’s Guide
--Resource List-nearly 500 entries including artists, communities, education, supplies, etc.
--Muse’s Corner: Our Passion to Educate by Ilysa & Kira of Polymer Clay Productions

This issue focuses on the role of Education and Instruction in the life of a polymer artist. We explore both our need to be educated as well as options for sharing what we’ve learned in order to educate and inspire others. Included are articles by well-known polymer educators Barbara McGuire and Christi Friesen as well as an interview with artist/teacher/therapist Christine K Harris, galleries focused on other notable educating artists, articles on adding instruction income to the artist’s offerings as well as the regular batch of inspirational pieces--new technique tutorials, product reviews, a report from the IPCA retreat and two new sections that focus on studio life and issues within the polymer community.