Local business owner and artist taps into her creative side

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly changed the way a lot of people live and work, but for one local business owner, the challenge of it all turned into a creative project.

If you walk into Clay Owen Studios in Anchorage, you’ll likely be greeted with the sound of glass being sliced, cut and scooped. It might not be a soothing sound to you, but to Owner, Autumn Tetlow, clinking pieces of glass is music to her ears.

“It’s the sound of production,” she said.

An artist in her own right, Tetlow’s owned and operated the business in Anchorage for 10 years, and you can bet, her creative juices don’t stop flowing just because she goes home.

“I started being bored one day while having coffee, I mosaic’d our breakfast table,” she said.

But, being home during that time wasn’t by choice.

“When they first announced a lock down, I thought I was going to have to close and didn’t know when I was going to reopen,” Tetlow explained.

So, being the creative artist she is, Tetlow got to work and started thinking outside the box on ways to put her business inside a box.

“I had a bunch of stain glass scrap that I needed to recycle and I said you know, I should really put this into a kit,” she said.

Tetlow did just that, making mosaic art kits to sell, which allowed her to get back to what she does best.

“Covid’s actually helped us evolve into a better business. I just kind of realized what places we were taking on too much like we had a really big space with a lot of classes, but I think the kits can serve more people,” said Tetlow.

Each box comes with instructions on how to put the mosaic art kits together, along with glass, glue, grout and some other goodies like specialty beads, which she gets from a local bead shop. Tetlow’s mosaic art kits have become a big hit not just in Alaska, but across the country.

“I’ve seen a lot of screen shots of folks doing zoom, so their relatives in the states have bought the kits and they’re just on zoom spending time together,” she said.

After meeting Tetlow, you can tell she loves what she does and even during a pandemic, her willingness to do what it takes to take care of her customers, shows.

“I’ve always loved to do art, I love to paint but I really like sharing it with people because it really helps their mental health. I really think it’s kind of a niche that we got into because of this, but it will definitely continue after,” she said.

Tetlow explained, because people are dealing with glass pieces and they can be a choking hazard for young kids, the mosaic art kits are recommended for kids ages 12 and up. She said parents have done them with younger kids. Just make sure they’re supervised.

The kits range from $15 all the way up to $65, depending on the type you get.

You can order online, pick up in person or have it shipped. The best way to connect with Clay Owen Studios is through its Facebook page.

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