Lila Silveira Sandoval

Twenty years ago Lila (Sylvia) learned to pot from her parents, Socorro Sandoval and José Silveira, so you can see she has spent 60% of her short life so far with her fingers dirty with clay and paint! Lila was fortunate to be chosen by Juan Quezada to be one of his few students for several years. Today he still shares with her special clays from his ranch and paints he personally makes.

As a child Carlos Carrillo would come from Juarez Cuidad to visit his mother’s family who lives in the tiny hamlet of Santa Rosa up river from Mata Ortiz. He and Lila met one summer and eloped. Their story is romantic but their timing was unfortunate – they were on their honeymoon when the writers and photographers of the popular book The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz were in town! So the excellent pottery couple missed the book and some well deserved recognition!

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Both are winners in past Concursos (Spanish for competition), the pottery contest held among the village potters each year. This highly prestigious event has highlighted the traditional designs of Lila who uses the snake on many of her pots.

Another of her trademarks is her use of mixing different colored clays together to make interesting, mottled colors. This clay is termed “mesclado (Spanish for mix),” and Lila was the first to mix five clays. She and Carlos use a variety of colors of clay to create different moods.

Lila is the oldest of five children. When her father passed away, she took on the role of second mother helping Socorro with her young family. And she and Carlos have a family of their own – Evelin, Yvette and José Carlo.

Last May we were very fortunate to be invited to Evelin’s quinceañera – that very special celebration when a girl turns 15, a symbolic celebration to usher her into adulthood. Surrounded by 15 teen girls, 15 teen boys, and an entourage of young girls – all in lime green, Evelin entered the Catholic church and was blessed by the Father and members of her family. Then off to the Silveira/Carrillo home via two pick up trucks which honked through the dirt streets of the village.

In their yard, Carlos had laid a large concrete slab (the base for a future house) for dancing to a live band. The best part for us was the father/daughter dance where Carlos removed Evelin’s flats and replaced them with young woman heels.

Dancing and music play an integral part of life in Mata Ortiz, and it was a treat to watch the young men in their best, pressed dark indigo jeans, pastel, pointy boots with matching belts and white cowboy hats dancing almost a line-dance routine with Evelin’s attendants.