Artist Bio:

I started to work with clay twenty-four years ago, and it has been the most wonderful experience of my life.  I was born and grew up in Mexico, but I have been living in the United States for the last twenty-three years. I earned my certificate in International Business at Glendale College in California.  This certificate is related to the Business Administration degree I earned in Mexico.  During the summer of 1998, I took a design class, just to see if I had any talent in this area.  I found the class to be exciting.  Seeing my new-found passion, my teacher encouraged me to take more art classes; I chose ceramics.

Ceramics has given me the opportunity to express my ideas and creativity in a different way.  Color and texture were a part of my everyday experiences growing up; this background is reflected in my work.  Being surrounded by folk art inspired me to convey a story through my pieces in a contemporary way.  Every creation represents things that are important to me such as family, friends, nature and traveling.  Using the skills of throwing, hand building, carving and painting, I achieve my vibrant and whimsical designs.  My pieces are one of a kind.  They bring happiness and a sense of wonder to any home or business.  My ceramic art is a must for any avid art collector.

I started to learn about pottery as a hobby, but today it is the way that I express myself to the world.  Many of my pieces are in galleries and private collections in the United States, Canada, Germany, England, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand.  In addition, I enjoy participating in various Southern California art festivals which allows me to connect personally with ceramic art lovers. 

Artist Statement

1. I am inspired by Folk Art. Since I am surrounded by nature and animals, they are my favorite subjects in my work. I tell a story using a combination of ceramic techniques in a contemporary way without taking away from the functionality of the piece. Every piece I create is unique, and it reflects my emotional state and my love for the craft.
   
   More About My Work:
   
   • The techniques that I use in my work are throwing, hand building, carving, painting, and glazing three times to get the desired unique effect. I use lead-free glazes, and a crawling glaze developed by me. Earthenware clay is used and then fired in an electric kiln. The earthenware technique is that only one that produces the vibrant colors that I love such as reds and yellows.
   • Much of my work reflects my childhood experiences, the importance of women, friends and relatives that are in my life and so many pieces are made to honor these relationships. I also want to share how I see life which is with joy, color and texture.
   • I know when people look at my work, they feel happy. It brings a smile to their faces. They tell me the work is fun, whimsical and useful. I hope that the piece brings joy into their home and their life.
   • The Sawdust Winter Fantasy brings to me a great amount of customers for my ceramic work. The people who come to the festival understand handmade work, quality of craftmanship and the time that it takes to create it. It gives me the opportunity to show something different in the ceramic world. I feel grateful for the festival and the loyal customers who have followed me through the past twenty-four years. This would not happen without all the people involved who make this show happen.