José is 39 years old and has been working with clay half of his life. Married to Irma, José has studied with the great Salvador Vazquez Carmona and is fast becoming a true master of bruñido (burnished) pottery.

His elegant designs and pottery forms originate from his creative imagination. When I asked him where he got his inspiration, he said, "I just feel the shape as I work with the clay."

Where does he get his clay? Near Tonalá lie deposits of black, white and red clay with varying proportions of silica. He pays a fee to extract great chunks of clay from this area. Once home, the chunks are broken up, ground into a powder and then sifted to removed impurities. Next water is added and the clay begins to "ferment" covered with plastic and set aside for several months.

Smoothed with stones after drying, a slip of pigment is applied to seal the pores of the clay as well as provide a background color. The paints are made by mixing clays and adding earth pigments.

After the slip has dried and the paints are mixed, the decoration (palmeado) is ready to begin. With an ensemble of brushes, some of animal hair, he begins with great skill painting the designs he is so well known for. The final burnishing may take a very long time in that the colors must be fixed well on the pot so they do not fade during the firing.

José Luis may not be well known now but we predict a bright future for this creative artist whose face comes alive as he speaks of his craft.

To watch a video of Jose Luis at Feria Maestros del Arte, just click here.

Contact information:
Porfirio diaz 372
Tonalá, Jalisco
333 683 1912
barrotradicional@hotmail.com

Or contact Marianne Carlson at 01152 376 765 7485 or email mariannecarlson@gmail.com