Running with the Clouds by Mariann Leahy

Mariann Leahy

As a Clay artist and painter, I celebrate symbols combining human and animal motifs. These symbols show the emergence and mystery of life’s energy. My works combine artistic experience with a profound respect for nature. Clay, coming from the earth, provides me with a natural tactile connection with our world. Using clay that contains a mica-rich surface, I carefully draw stories in glazes on fired clay. Each piece is painted with many coats of glazes which come alive in “brilliant colors” during the second firing process. Mariann is also a painter. Painting in oils and acrylics in vibrant colors similar to the glazes she uses, she paints imagery of nature and surrounding landscapes. Mariann taught art on the high school level for over 18 yrs in the multicultural Chicago area where she did her graduate work in Ceramics at the Chicago School of the Art Institute. While living in Illinois, Mariann was named an Illinois Artisan. Since 1997, she has resided in Sedona, Arizona. In 2017, Mariann was named a Sedona Legacy Artist (one who has lived, been a working artist and shown in Galleries in Sedona for 20 years). Mariann’s work can be seen at the Sedona Arts Center Gallery. She was represented by Peggy Lanning’s “Turquoise Tortoise Gallery in Sedona for 20 years as well as galleries in Santa Fe, NM. From January through April, 2024, Mariann’s paintings and ceramics were exhibited at Sedona City Hall chambers. Also one of Mariann’s ceramic pieces “Clouds Over Bell Rock” was featured in the Sedona Arts Center “65 years Ceramics Invitational Exhibition” April, 2024.