Today marks the official completion of our Issue Seventeen Table of Contents blog series. For two weeks, we’ve been sharing glimpses into each article that we’ve had in the works over the course of the summer. As I write this, I am putting the last pieces into place for the design, and then it will go out for copy editing.
The cover art for this issue features a lovely antique violin alongside a cluster of dried horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) and a polissoir (polisher/corn burnisher) used for preparing wooden surfaces for varnishing. This arrangement is a nod to the article in this issue which was contributed by our 2023 Craft Research Grant recipient, Narelle Freeman. Freeman is a luthier from the UK who has a passion to learn from a now-gone age of luthiery craftsmanship that held the secrets for the most beautiful and enchanting varnishes. Freeman’s article is a fascinating tale of pursuit, dead ends, new directions, and deeper appreciation for the craft than when she began.
Issue Seventeen is going to the printer in a matter of weeks, and you can secure your copy of this issue by subscribing here. Check out the Table of Contents one more time – you won’t want to miss this one.
-Joshua