I wouldn’t worry too much about a shrinking number of lapidarists. I
teach part time in the jewellery program at Georgian College in
Barrie, ON where instructors David MacAleese and Don Stuart teach
the students how to cut and polish stones and do stone inlay. Almost
all of the third years students incorporate cutting stones and inlay
into their final self-directed semester. So I wanted to reassure you
that Georgian is doing it’s part to stem the shrinking numbers.
Lapidary Journal needs articles from the very people who are
complaining so loudly about their interests not being met. You are
simply getting on the complain and belly ache bandwagon instead of
becoming part of a solution. You can see your name in print in a
positive manner, but you need to change your focus of attention.
Most of the people who subscribe to magazines such as Lapidary
Journal are looking to LEARN something, and are not professional
lapidaries OR professional writers. We are not talking about a
lapidary club newsletter, Lapidary Journal is a professionally
published, internationally known magazine! If your local newspaper
does a crummy job reporting on crime, it is because they are
incompetent, not because YOU as a reader should have written the
articles. There is a distinct difference between a magazines writers
and its subscribers. If a magazine like Lapidary Journal can’t find
professional writers willing to write lapidary articles, then it is
time for them to pull the plug, or at least re-name the magazine to
more accurately reflect its current focus.
Interestingly enough I had the pleasure of eating dinner with three
of the wonderful ladies from LJ at the Tuscon orchid dinner last
year. I really didn’t get to do as much chatting as I wished I could
have. One of the topics was if I was interested in submitting some
step by step or other works. I honestly was in awe that they even took
notice in my ideas.I see lots of fellow professionals in our trade
write and publish everyday such as this forum or elsewhere. Good and
bad…
I would pick up all my favorite mags and mostly drool or raise my
eyebrows, and sometimes smirk because I knew something they did
not, etc.
Imagine where we would be without people like them to open our minds
a little to something we have never seen. Does size really matter?
I personally like the quality of things as I try to put this into my
work.You also have to understand that LJ has been around a long time
and is well established in our community. I personally will keep on
showing my support.
Also I think that it can be hard for some whom do not do lapidary to
appreciate the mag.What would our trade be without the people who cut
stones, and if they have no inspiration then what will we have…a
beautiful piece of metal, maybe.
I still look at the old LJ’s and want more of them. I just read again
for the 100th time it seems the issue about mokume. It inspired me to
push beyond and do what few have done in our present days…I know
people who have never even heard of it, like blue diamonds, they have
now been enlightened by a magazine and that opens lots of doors for
all of us, thanks to a group of people who continue to publish. I
sometimes dream a little dream that all I do is travel and look for
stones in distant shores, and sit with the artisans of the world to
see how it is still being done. I bring the pictures and stories back
and put them in magazines, etc and I get paid to do this. Like
discovery or something. (remember I am dreaming here)
I see people with “primitive” tools produce magnificent work and it
still moves me. When I am at my bench with a million tools scratching
my head and trying to figure it out again…
So I say if ya don’t like it then write your own magazine maybe. I am
sure I would buy it too because there is really only a handful of
magazines out there to even appreciate…Look at what we do here, its
kinda short but the inpiration and wealth of on Orchid is
amazingly vast due to the hard work of a great team here, and to you
the fellow orchidians who contribute.