Blog: Meet Martin Pottjewijd

Hi I am Martin Pottjewijd,

I have my own graphic design company for 11 years now, designing in the digital world is really great but… I felt the need to create with my hands. About 8 years ago I wrote a wish list for Christmas and somehow I wrote polymer clay on this list. So I got a starter skit with 6 pieces of clay and 3 sculpting tools from Santa. I bought more clay, started looking for new tools and bought more clay! Sculpting, sculpting, sculpting, more clay and more tools! Started giving workshops and contacted the big clay companies to show my work. The response… nice work and good luck! Now that wasn't the response I was hoping for… obviously my work wasn't good enough. A step back and more sculpting, practicing, giving workshops to first year students at a secondary school and in the evenings. I Did some barter with a Dutch company who sells clay. At that time only other brands, I didn't discovered the Polyform Products yet. I started looking for other clay artists in the Netherlands and got in contact with Johanna Veerenhuis, she makes wonderful clay caricatures and I wondered what clay brand she was. She gave me a small piece of Super Sculpey to try and it was like magic for me! I forgot what I made with that first chunk Super Sculpey. Well that's completely irrelevant now, I needed more! I asked my clay supplier if he could buy it for me, because wow it's America! I'm just a Dutch guy who likes the clay… :) So the company started buying it and I was hooked.

I made the website: www.martinpottjewijd.nl/klei to have a good reference for showing my clay and design skills. Meanwhile I started claying with Creall Therm Junior for bigger sculptures. A Dutch clay company?! Ok let's call and see if I can get an appointment. I had a good meeting and got to the opportunity to show my clay sculptures. And they were impressed so I gave the lady who I had the meeting with a small clay creature.

A few months later they called me to ask if I want to go to the Paperworld in Frankfurt and do the sculpting in their booth. Wohoohoooooooooooooooow! Yes of course I want to do that! Moments after saying YES the doubt started… uhhh how is my English and German… what do they expect from me?! Am I able to do this… The fair was on! Playing with clay, having fun and telling people about the products was definitely something for me. And I knew Polyform was also on this creative fair… but I didn't dare to go there, what do I have to say and do they have time to speak to me?! The last day there was no escaping I had to go there because a colleague went over there and said, Martin really wants to talk with you. Pfff ok go go go! Great people pffieeew… and they like my work, oh ok they are human just like me ;-). Meanwhile I started the Polly and Mur cartoon for the magazine From Polymer to Art and Polyform did the clay sponsoring. I did 4 episodes and then this great magazine had to stop. So Polly and Mur were unemployed… January this year I took Polly and Mur to the Fair in Frankfurt and they got very much attention! Even a photo from Polly and Clay artist Leila Bidler. I was browsing facebook and suddenly saw my own work. That's great if you don't expect it J. Ok nearing the end now The last day on the fair Iris Weiss asked me if Polly and Mur could be adopted by Polyform! Ok yes! Uhhhhhh… can I do this… doubt… well people I'm going to start a adventure with Polly and Mur! Hope you like it and everything is made with Sculpey III, Premo and Super Sculpey. Oh man I'm exited!

Cheers,

Martin Pottjewijd > Let's clay and make the world a happier place!