Meet Pam W. Skersick: polymer clay surface designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Pam W. Skersick and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pam W., maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
One Christmas my sister Carol and I decided it was time to pursue a new creative endeavor. At the time she was a CPA in her family accounting firm, and I was an educator with 34 years’ experience. Time to do something different? You bet! We both love beautiful things and even in our career years had always done something artful on the side. We decided to create a clothing line. Never slackers, we created the designs, found a pattern maker, found the fabric, and found the sewers. We hand-painted the silk linings and made the buttons for each design using polymer clay. Wow! What a lot of work! We began doing local shows and trade shows. It didn’t take too very long for us to learn that we had had a good idea but not a great idea. We scaled down our vision and began to make polymer clay buttons and embellishments. That was a successful business for several years. Over time, we’ve evolved into making jewelry and other wearable art. We also design and make wall art, doodads and whatnots. Polymer clay has been the one constant material in the evolution of our business plan.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We are polymer clay surface designers. Although there are many artists who work in polymer clay, our products are distinctive in design and style. We are self-taught and dedicated to the artistic process. That is to say that we continue to learn and expand our craft. We continue to grow our business through online sales and art shows.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Fort Worth where there are a bazillion great places to visit. An event in Dickie’s Arena, a trip to the north side with drinks and dinner at Joe T’s or Lonesome Dove. The museum district is a must. A visit to Sundance Square with drinks and dinner at Waters or Grace. The Clearfork Farmers’ Market with lunch at Press Cafe. Long walks or bike rides along the many miles of paths on the Trinity River. Dinner at Shinjuku on the Southside followed by a play at the Amphibian Theater.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My sister and business partner, Carol Lockwood, deserves most of the credit. Even though she lives in Colorado, we work closely together in Crone Art. A book? The Artist’s Way. Doesn’t that book deserve some credit from all artists/creative types? Another person? Chris Miller with Urban Artist Market is a great marketer and cheerleader for us.

Website: www.crone-art.com
Instagram: instagram.com/croneart
Facebook: facebook.com/croneart