Sketching on site often attracts attention. My, "I don't want to talk now", trick is to wear headphones and listen to music. Dave, on the other hand, is happy to chat with whoever strolls by and shows an interest. That's how he met the ceramist, Pablo Pajarito Fajardo. We were in Tlaquepaque at the Museo de Ceramic on the 25th, when Pablo, a museum guide, noticed Dave sketching. After some pointing and gesturing towards Dave's sketchbook, Abby finally came over and translated for us. We found out that Pablo was a ceramist and had several pieces in the museum. That got our attention! We asked him where his studio was, "Tonala" was the answer. "Wow! We're planning a trip there on Sunday ," we said. "Could we visit your studio"? "Of course, please come," said Pablo in his best English. He gave us his card and address and we said our farewells. Our first stop in Tonala was the Sunday market. A stream of people packed shoulder to shoulder, moved through the small aisles of the market. It was all a bit overwhelming! We only lasted for about a half hour in the market before we called Pablo and hailed a taxi to his place. We got slightly lost, but a quick conversation between the driver and Pablo got us on the right track. Soon we were in Pablo's house and studio. We meet his wife, daughter and white kitten who had two different colored eyes, ( Abby had to hold the kitten of course). As Abby translated we found out that Pablo was from a family of potters whose roots and skills went back five generations! What a legacy. He talked about how they sourced their clay and the natural ingredients for his family's trademark and distinctive glazes. He explained how each new design starts with an original sculpture that is then cast into a mold. He showed us how he kneads the clay and gets it ready to mold. We got a painting and glaze mixing demonstration and finally, he showed us his kiln which is in his 80 year old father's backyard just the other side of his son's wall. We purchased 3 pieces from Pablo and today they proudly sit on our fireplace mantel underneath Mel's protection, (Dave's Mule deer trophy named after Mel Torme). Talented, generous and proud! That was our experience with Pablo Pajarito, a highlight of our Mexican vacation.
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