Is polymer clay really for serious artists?  I thought it was just for kids.

One of the major manufacturers of polymer clay has targeted their lower quality polymer clay brand at the kids market, by packaging it in kits especially for children.  Also, another reason people have this impression is that, in the package, it looks much like the modeling clay we all used in grade school.  Unlike that modeling clay, which never hardens, polymer clay can be fired or cured, when a creation is finished.

There are brands of polymer clay that are a higher quality and cost more than the product people buy for their children.  These brands were definitely created for the professional artist or crafts person.  Additionally, there are polymer clay artists that use the "kids" polymer clay and creating some amazing works of art.

One of the problems in polymer clay gaining acceptance as a bona fide art material to be used by "serious" artists, is the sheer scope of its applications.  It has so many different uses and some of these uses fall more under the label of crafting, versus art.

What is the difference between creating art and crafting?  This question has been the subject of much discussion in recent years, with no clear answer.  The answer is different with nearly every person you talk to .

Here is my personal  opinion of the difference between the two.  Crafting is when you create many items that are very much the same, in a consistent manner and this is what you are consciously trying to do.  A good crafter produces multiple similar items and always strives to be consistent in the workmanship.  An artist creates an item that is intended to be made only once, to be a one-of-a-kind work of art.

The quality of either the craft or the art can be either excellent, or poor, depending on the crafter or artist.  It is the quality of the workmanship, the time spent, the attention to detail, that is important, whether it is a craft item or a work of art.

Of course, in this day and age, there are many gray areas and overlaps.  You have artists licensing their work out to be replicated over and over,  on cups and stationery.  There are crafters who are also artists.  You have artists who make a limited edition line of items, that are similar.  There are crafters who strive to create a quality product, such as soap, without any desire to make beautiful, as well.

The ages old question of, "What is Art?" constantly lurks behind the door of most artists and many crafters. There are as many answers to that question as there are artists- or as there are people who are interested in art.

What has to happen for art to exist?  Typically, the artist has to conceive of and plan a work project (contrary to fantasy, it does not just happen automatically).  Then, an artist must also have skill in using color, creating compositions, and using the principles of design to apply to the project. Additionally, capable artists generally have to be well-practiced with their chosen art materials, be it stone or paint, and have a reasonable mastery of the techniques in using that medium

In considering these things, it is clear that it is not the choice of art materials, as much as the proficiency of the artist, that makes art.  Also, once one explores the many ways that various artists have used polymer clay and the end resulting art pieces, any notion that this clay is not a bona fide, respectable art material, is beyond argument.

Having a painting and computer art background, I was seduced quickly by the possibilities inherent in this material.  At first, I thought it would be an easier way to achieve certain effects.  After a few sessions, attempting to work with it, I discovered that it was not going to be a walk in the park, to gain mastery over it.

 From the beginning, the concept of the cane fascinated me.  This is where we create a design that runs the length of a log, much like the refrigerator pinwheel cookies.  We use the design by making slices off the log, and so have the basis for intricate repetitive designs.

 On the surface this sounds like a simple way to have an endless supply of design elements.  However, the design, planning, and building of a cane is a single art project in and of itself.  It is very time consuming and a lot of work, to get the components together in good proportion, to apply techniques that create shading in parts of the cane, and to visualize each of these components, then extrude them 3D (for the length of the log), in your mind.  It is, at times, a daunting task and you don't know if you are successful until it is finished and reduced (made smaller), then sliced.

The degree of difficulty in using polymer clay easily matches or surpasses traditional pottery techniques, and is perhaps only exceeded by glass art.  If you compare time and effort invested in completing a polymer clay art project with, say, painting a canvas, the cost of a well rendered polymer clay art work should exceed the value of an equal quality painting by many times.

In summary, it is not the art material that is used to create that determines the quality of the art.  It is, in fact, the quality of the creation that does.  The look and personality of the creation is determined to a degree by the art material chosen.  However, it is only after studying a broad sampling of works, made using one particular art material, that one can properly judge which are mediocre, good or excellent examples of the use of that art material.  Polymer clay art cannot be compared directly to ceramic and pottery, which cannot be compared directly to oil paintings.