Inspired by the rich traditions
of New Mexico Hispanic and Apache ceramics, my pieces are built from micaceous clay, hand-dug from sparkling clay beds located
near Abiguiu, New Mexico. The inhabitants of the area have mined these beds for centuries in order to build the ceramics that
helped lay the foundation for the Northern Rio Grande’s frontiers economy. My interest in ceramics intensified after
my archaeologist daughter (Dr. B. S. Eiselt) invited me to study with her friend and consultant, Mr. Felipe Ortega, who
is recognized as a master in the traditional micaceous pottery techniques of the Northern Rio Grande by the Smithsonian Institution.
From my hilltop studio in Redding, California, where I am surrounded by mountains to the north, east and west, and the great
valley to the south, I produce a limited number of pieces that reflect my own cultural background and traditional micaceous
ceramics.
Vessels are built using the
coil and scrape method, slipped with a micaceous wash, stone polished, and fired in an open pit subsequent to the offering
of blessings. Fire clouds appear as reduced gray and black designs resulting from contact between the pot and burning fuel.
Undulating black lines are created when human hair, representing the artist’s spirit, is applied to pieces as they come
out of the fire. To New Mexican native artists, ceramic production represents the spiritual union between a living landscape
and human action in a social context.
Inspiration for my work is drawn from the functional
basis of micaceous clay pottery as defined by native New Mexican cultures. Pueblos and Spaniards alike have used micaceous
clay in culinary vessels throughout their long history together. They say that food tastes better when cooked in clay pots.
Most of the forms that I make are consistent with this philosophy and include bean pots, boiling bowls, sugar bowls,
water vases and winnowing bowls.
