The Making of an Ortega Pot

Photography by Kitty Leaken
Written by Deborah Busemeyer

A bird’s eye view of Felipe Ortega’s studio, which is an almost constant hub of activity.

To help him set the size of a pot, Ortega begins by flattening the clay into a tortilla shape, then molding it into a plastic bowl that he calls a “puki.”

3 / 15 Each size pot requires a different kind of base, which makes for a large collection of pukis.

Ortega then begins rolling out a series of clay coils, which begin at roughly the size of breadsticks.

As he builds a pot, he presses and seals the coils into each other, which makes the sides of a pot to almost dangerously thin.

Ortega used to use the lid of a can of Spam to smooth the sides of his pot, which is the method he learned from his 90-year-old teacher. Now he uses commercial potter’s tools.

Before a pot is finished, Ortega adds layer upon layer of muddy clay with extra doses of mica. This smoothes the pot, boosts its insulating capacities, and adds to its shimmer.

A clay pot needs to dry slowly to avoid cracking, but once it’s begun to harden up it can be finished with a warm sun bath.

Pots aren’t the only things Ortega produces in his studio — he also makes “hornos” (large outdoor ovens) and teacups like these.

Before firing, Ortega gives his pots one last polish with a sandstone, which adds to its smoothness and its shine.

While most modern potters use gas or electric kilns with precise temperature controls, Ortega is old school. His firings are done with simple tree bark, but they still reach temperatures of around 1,500 degrees.

As the fire heats up, the various elements in the clay “vitrify” — or melt into one another, forming a kind of ceramic glass. This is what seals the clay, enabling it to hold liquid.

During firing, the pot blackens, but just when the clay’s constituents are fullly annealed, it begins to resume its reddish brown color again. This tells Ortega that the firing is complete.

As the finished product cools, it retains colorful remnants of its evolution.

Which become marks of each pot’s journey from earth to vessel. Many potters sell their micaceous wares for thousands of dollars apiece. Ortega has kept his prices comparatively accessible: $100 a quart.

Kitty Leaken, a veteran photojournalist, specializes in the art and culture of native peoples around the world.
Deborah Busemeyer has worked for newspapers in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico, always gravitating toward challenging subjects and those that give a voice to the vulnerable.

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The Making of an Ortega Pot

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