Rene’s Clay
Working with clay allows me to explore my cultural heritage, expand and define the boundaries of who I am through an interactive medium.
After a 25 year journey through the restaurant and culinary world I find myself back where I believe I always wanted to be, creating through clay.
Born in Mexico and raised in the southern region of the United States, I found myself in Seattle several years after graduating from St. Olaf College in 1994 with a double major in Art and Asian Studies. Upon my arrival in Seattle in 1998, I spent two decades honing my skills in the culinary arts; although rewarding and exciting, something was missing. Fast forward to 2020 and my whole life changed; pandemic, marriage, surgery, and pottery. My reintroduction to clay set me upon a journey in search for inspiration and community; that journey has led me back to Rain City Clay/Rat City Studios to continue my growth as a ceramic artist..
Winding Road of Inspiration.
In 2020 the pandemic dissolved all excuses and procrastination efforts of ignoring my need to get my hands dirty. So, after being too busy, overworked and stressed out for 20+ years, I walked into Rat City Studios ready to see what my hands remembered. Lucky for me, it was more than I anticipated.
The next four months I was at the studio four times a week rebuilding pottery skills, and igniting a pyre of purpose and inspiration. Next, along with my amazing partner Johanna and adventurous sidekick Quesadilla; we set out on an 8 month road trip around the United States where we visited friends, family, potters, worked on farms and expanded our capacity for what home can be.
Along the way I was constantly inspired by the colors and textures in the natural world, the openness from the clay community, and the opportunities other ceramic artists gave me. Here is a collection of images that I hope to incorporate into my new body of work when I return to Seattle and begin the next chapter with Rain City Clay.
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texture
One of my favorite aspects of clay is its ability to be manipulated into a myriad of textural flavors; smooth, gritty, carved, or torn, the possibilities are endless.
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color
Death brings new life. During our extended road trip we spent from September through November following the changing colors of autumn south from New Brunswick to Highlands, North Carolina. The color palette that Mother Nature bestowed upon us along our journey was truly inspiring. Traipsing through the woods, the bright yellows and electric oranges became more alive by the color of decaying transformation.
Where it’s monochromatic or full spectrum the lessons and inspiration the natural world offers is unending.
