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Artist Tony Soares first took an interest in clay at the age of seven when his grandmother taught him the basics of pottery making. In the beginning Tony used processed clay, but he soon became interested in making his own. This interest led to seventeen years of experimentation before he was able to perfect his pottery making process, a craft now lost to many Native American tribes. Tony gathers his clay from deposits located at various sites throughout the Mojave Desert. He grinds the raw materials into a fine powder between two stones called mono and matate. He then adds a special sand found only in this area and water to create a clay suitable for making pottery. |
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Tony does not use a pottery wheel. He forms the bottom half of the new pot over the bottom of an existing pot lined with ash or cloth. He then removes the new half from the existing pot and seats it in a shallow basin that is also lined. He builds the pot up by adding coils of clay to the new half. He molds the clay using his hands, a wooden paddle, and an anvil stone to fashion the final product. After allowing the pot to dry for several days, Tony may choose to paint it with indigenous designs using natural mineral pigments. He applies the pigments by hand using his fingers or a yucca brush. |
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While firing permanently fixes the paint to the pottery, the firing itself often changes the color of the clay, creating unique designs known as fire clouds. The pottery is pit fired using dead wood gathered from various places. The entire process can take from two to three weeks. Native American pottery was made in the California deserts for thousands of years but, with the arrrival of the Europeans, pottery making faded. This art was lost to many Southern California Tribes. Tony Soares is proud to be a part of the revival of the lost art. He has taught his skills to Native Americans including the Agua Caliente Band of the Desert, Cahuilla of Palm Springs, and the Cocopa of Yuma, Arizona. He also teaches elementary school children the art of traditional pottery making. Tony's pottery can be seen in the permanent collection at the Palm Springs Museum and at the Tahquitz Canyon Museum. His creations can also be found in galleries throughout the greater Palm Springs area. |
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