Felipe Ortega's Micaceous Pottery

We stayed at Felipe Ortega's Owl Peak Pottery Bed and Breakfast, in La Madera, New Mexico, for three wild nights of meeting new friends, enjoying fabulous food cooked in his earthenware pottery, bread baked in the outdoor "horno" adobe ovens and marvelous stories flavored by the flow of good wine in good company.

http://www.felipeortega.com/index.html

Here are several of Felipe Ortega's and his students' pots.

See that glow? This is traditional hand built "coil and scrape" pottery made with local clay called "micaceous" because of the high mica content (40%). It is so thermally sturdy, it can be used as cookware on the stovetop. We bought mugs from Felipe and bean pots and a bowl from his apprentice Ben. They are on the middle shelf in the photo awaiting their final wood firing, for the smoke patterns ("fire clouds") to emerge. I will treasure these pots. Someday I will return and take classes from Felipe. The mica slip that is used for the final polish is exquisite. I can already feel that my own pottery will be changing, just from watching these potters at work and at play.