The Annual Made in Clarkdale show is an exciting event and I feel privileged to have been able to participate in it now for a number of years.

I am retired and love living in Arizona.  I have lived in a number of places.  These include New York City (where I grew up and attended college), Washington state, New Jersey, Colorado, and Wisconsin.  My work history is equally diverse.  I have built elevator controllers, repaired electronic equipment, serviced Xerox machines, programmed computers, designed computer systems, did commercial real estate development, had various positions with Lands End, and worked for the U.S. Census.  When I was younger, I stimulated my right brain by participating in extreme sports including out-of-bounds skiing, whitewater kayaking, motorcycle riding, lead rock climbing…

I have always loved and have been fascinated by art.  There was so much to explore in this regard in New York City and in my extensive travels.  During my work years, I took some stone sculpture and pottery classes, which I loved.  I retired about eight years ago and within a year was feeling restless.  Since extreme sports were no longer an option for right-brain stimulation, I decided to revisit pottery and have been hooked since.  I have won several awards for my ceramic art.

I love working on the pottery wheel and have greatly refined my throwing skills.  My adventurous and restless spirit has moved me to experiment with diverse pottery techniques and types of firings.  Fortunately, there seems to be much to explore, and after eight years I still feel excited and inspired by creating ceramic art.

However, I have reached a point where I am no longer excited by simply making pots.  Fortunately, there is something exciting and intriguing for me in altering well-thrown pots.  This approach is giving me a chance to integrate my stone sculpture experience with my ceramic art.  As with all my art, this altering process is evolving as I delve more deeply into it.   Glazing and various forms of adding texture to my art keep me busy exploring and fuels my interest.  I have been exploring soda and wood firing and a sample of each can be viewed below.  My pieces will often look dramatically different when viewed from different angles.  I want to invite people to explore my pieces – view them from different angles, to look inside…  I see my current direction as moving from craftsmanship to art.  The two are not mutually exclusive, and I still love to make functional ware.

I have participated in the Made In Clarkdale Artist Showcase for many years now and love being a part of it.  I have studio space at the Reitz Ranch in Clarkdale and my home is in Sedona.  In addition to the Made In Clarkdale show, my work can be seen at the Village Gallery of Local Artists and Dragonfly (Cottonwood).  My biggest selection is at my home studio and you are invited to visit by appointment.

LukeMetzCeramics.com

www.Facebook.com/PotsByLuke

LukeMetzCeramics@gmail.com