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Artist not afraid to ask What if Story by Teresa Photography by Mike Barrett Ann Mortimer dared to ask herself what would happen if The Newmarket clay artist will be the first to exhibit at the Aurora Cultural Cen tre The idea for this collection of clay umbrellas The Great Umbrella Caper struck her when standing in the middle of a paper umbrella fac tory during one of her eight adven tures to China in the past 20 years Just the sudden splashes of colour and the designs caught my attention she said while mak ing final adjustments to her clay umbrellas hanging at the cultural centre gallery It took a lot of trial and error before figured out how to construct them Designing the mould and figur ing out how to make the shapes sta ble were the first challenges Then she found it more challenging to fit the metal handles onto the finished pieces However she enjoyed every minute of figuring out how to make her works mirror her vision Just the sudden splashes of colour and the designs caught my attention Over the years she has to create unique pieces and collec tions trying to accomplish what some would say is impossible But with her determination perfection ism and courage to ask what if she is proud of what she has pro duced I love to get right into it she smiled Some dont like the feel of the clay but I really dont mind it She hasnt always worked with clay When she and her late hus band Norm moved from Toronto to Park Avenue in Newmarket she was a nurse Her husband had land ed a position with the then- York County Hospital now Southlake Regional Health Centre but at the time a husband and wife were not allowed to work together at the same hospital Having two sons kept her busy but she yearned to find something else to fill her days something she would enjoy She ventured out to King Crafts which sparked her interest in clay The interest grew after creating a Ann Mortimers collection of clay umbrellas is the first exhibit at the Aurora Cultural Centre To view Ms Mortimers work visit annnwrtrrnerceramicscom clay vase so she started making more in a studio in her basement It was great but I eventually wanted an aboveground studio she said I was always dodging hockey socks and dripping nylons working in the basement After the sudden passing of her husband she decided to carry on their dream of building a house complete with a studio on the property they purchased on the Newmarket King Township border As she became immersed in her clay works after attending a two- week workshop with Hockley Valley Fine Arts and studying ceramics his tory at Georgian College she started gaining recognition from others in the medium She has served as president of the Canadian Guild of Potters and is a member of the Canadian Crafts and Ontario Crafts councils She has also been elected to the Royal Cana dian Academy of Arts a prestigious organization in the world of arts Her involvement has brought her invitations to lead workshops lec ture and exhibit all over the world including China Japan Australia England France and Scotland I have met so many people and have experienced so many interest ing things she said She also had the opportunity to be one of 10 Canadian artists who spent three years converting an old brick and tile factory into the Canadian Museum of Artists in Fuping China The building stands with 18 other international ceramic museums For this work she was awarded the Order of Canada It was just an incredible experi ence to live work and exhibit there she said Cathy Harris past- president and longtime member of the Pine Tree Potters Guild describes Ms Mor timer as the sweetest most gra cious artistic woman she has ever met and someone who has earned respect among local and interna tional artists alike Her work is so different than those who do the traditional vases bowls and pots Ms Harris said She realhy is an inspiration She finds Ms Mortimers work intriguing adding the local artist is edgy and daring when it comes to her craft Her willingness to take risks produces the most imagina tive work Ms Harris has ever seen But despite her reputation and achievements in the artistic world Ms Mortimer always has time to encourage and coach local artists Ms Harris said She is always willing to come out and lend a hand she said She is a very dedicated woman who is also very humble Ms Mortimer has created so much in the years she has worked with clay and has an attachment to every piece ANN MORTIMER FINISHES OUR SENTENCES Myfavourite place is on my patio at my cottage on Lake Rousseau My guilty pleasure is a drink of scotch If IcouW have lunch with anyone it would be Baradt Ooama because he started off with such hope and has hit so many road blocks along the way I just think it would be so interesting People would be surprised to know I have already made my tomb stone that says Organized to the very end My autobiography would be titled I Wonder What Would Happen If tire BRAKEtSERVICE SERVICE HOURS Fri 7306 Sun 95 ON 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