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Celia Veloz and Luis Perez

  Celia Ivon Veloz Saenz

    Celia has a scrapbook which she proudly shares with visitors.  The first photo is of an eight year old Celia, squinting into the sun, holding two plates.  As is usually the case with the pottery families, the children handle the clay at a very young age and become quite familiar and comfortable with the art.  Celia watched her parents, Saul Veloz and Armida Saenz.  Her earlier pots show the influence of her mother, but her recent styles are more her own – traditionally Paquimé, but definitely a Celia!     

We discovered Celia on one of our first visits to Mata Ortiz five years ago.  One evening when we were staying at the Posada in the village, Russ and a friend were a bit thirsty, so they went to a nearby abarrote or little convenience store for some beer.  Sitting behind the counter was a lovely young lady who was burnishing a wonderful pot with a polishing stone.  When Russ asked in his pigeon Spanish whose olla it was, she shyly pointed to herself and Russ immediately bought it with his cervezas (beer).

Since then, we have watched Celia’s career soar.  She has won second and third places in the last two Concursos – the annual pottery contest held among the potters of the village.  This event has    categories in which the potters compete:  polychrome (traditional black, red and white), black on black, miniatures, zoomorphic, best new design, children’s, and recently, other colors.

Celia’s prizes were won in the polychrome category which has the most entries!  Her painting is very even in both lines and coverage.  Sizes of ollas run from chico (small) to grande (large)!

She has been married to José Luis Perez since 1999.   Luis is truly a cowboy.  He has about fifty cows in pasture in the mountains.  When the dry season arrives, he herds them via horseback closer to the village where he and his father share a tractor to plow the field to raise food for their stock. In the fall Luis sells his male yearlings but keeps the females.

Their son Carlitos has already been painting pots – when he isn’t playing soccer, doing his homework, or watching cartoons on television.

Right now the family is in the process of more than doubling their very small adobe home.  Currently, it consists of three rooms, a small immaculately clean kitchen with new cabinets and a sunflower motif, a bedroom which has a corner set aside as Celia’s “painting workshop,” and a bath with a clothes washer.  The adobe walls of the addition are constructed, but they are waiting until October when Luis sells his cattle until they can add a roof.  The concept of a mortgage is unknown in Mata Ortiz.  When the home is finished, it is fully owned.

Besides being an award winning potter, a loving wife and mother, and an immaculate housekeeper, Celia is an excellent cook.  She loves postres (desserts) and prints her recipes in a spiral notebook, which is getting full. 

Several times Celia has made for me my favorite postre, chocolate cake with a layer of flan on top.  The secret is the pan, a cast iron pot!

                             CELIA’S CHOCO FLAN

FLAN:

          1 can Carnation condensed milk

          1 cup La Lechera (name brand of very sweet milk)*

1 cup media Crema Nestle (name brand of thick sweet cream)*

          3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

 * = must buy in Mexican/specialty food store

CAKE:  prepared chocolate cake mix

Prepare flan ingredients and pour into the cast iron pot.  Then add the prepared chocolate cake mix – cover.

Put on top of the stove at an extremely low heat.  Test with pick after an hour and cook till finished.  Invert and slide onto late, flan side up!