My journey with clay started when I was a young boy playing with the most beautiful red clay, (mud). After the tropical rains, the dry red dirt becomes thick red mud. I made little bowls and brought them in to my art teacher so that he can fire them in the school’s kiln. They didn’t survive the bisque firing. Technical stuff got in the way of art. That was back a long time ago in the little island of Guam.
I moved to California in the 60’s, went to art school, became a painter, photographer, art instructor, etc, etc. Fast forward to 2006, a move to Tucson Arizona and my long lost love of playing with mud has come full circle.
I have developed a hand building technique by making my forms from cylinders of clay. I start with a ball of clay, from a small amount up to twenty-five pounds or more. I shape the clay into a rough cylinder then push a stick through the center. Once the stick goes all the way trough the cylinder, it becomes a tube. I roll the sides of the clay until I can go inside the clay.
This is where the process of communicating with the clay begins. I like to get my hands inside the clay and stretch the clay from the inside. I push or pull to determine if the clay is plastic enough to make it suggest a human form, or a body part, a torso, or a hip. I learned patience. I let the clay rest until it is ready for the next step.
My intentions and contents are simple. I work with shape, color, form, texture and the nuance of clay. Clay makes great organic shapes and forms that depict nature.
Color and texture add a whole new dimension.
Roy Lizama
4640 E. Quivira Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85718
