Whatever happened to AnnMetlayArt?

AnnMetlayArt continues, new location, new look in the art, but the same artist creating the ceramic sculptures. 

Last spring, Covid hit. We all scampered. 

I had a gallery/studio on 6th Street in Cottonwood. It got me out of my own home each day, kept the mess away from my own house. With a central location, it drew friends in.

But then the pandemic hit. Friends hesitated to enter my studio. The outside events I had lined up to show my art all disappeared. And my space began to look drab.
The last straw came when the only window in my studio was taken to hold the noisy air conditioner. The appliances which had been promised to leave, multiplied around the shop.

I tentatively tried making art in my living room. That first morning a glorious, golden sun rose right outside my studio window. My entire work area was bathed in its rays. 

I went into 6th Street. The air conditioner blocked all natural sunlight. Its dingy gray interior stuck out.Three more used appliances cluttered the parking area. One of them usurped the parking space meant for me. I called my landlord and gave my notice.

Another major change since the beginning of the quarantine has been my loss of the Reitz Ranch. This was my artistic mainstay for over two years. Interactions and advice from the other ceramic artists out there was invaluable. More importantly, I do not have the same access to the glaze firings now. 
I have now turned to cold finishes. I use several washes of acrylic paint, then add a final layer of floor wax.  I am learning how to mix colors and create with rainbows of hues. I use a low-fire clay so that my clay vitrifies, can hold up with water and temperature variations.

My dogs are much happier with me around full-time. They have moved their favorite bedding under my studio table, and sleep there between forays out into the yard to track down lizards. They watch me to see when I might take a nap. We all pile into bed together, Baruch snuggled up to my leg and Dodi sleeping up across the pillows.

I have found a kiln to place in my garage.  Several friends have volunteered to help me learn to use it. My next challenge on the way to becoming an artist!

I love to have visitors. While it is not as easy to find me, tucked away above Dollar General in Clarkdale, I am generally in my studio. It is large enough to “social distance.” Call me, and I will give you directions. My phone number: 928-963-0978.

I will be blogging twice a month, again. Look for my continued musings about art, life and memory.