Ramon Camarillo utilizes a unique working method; he throws a twenty-five pound bag of clay, in a single wheel session, into a pot that defies the typical limitations of clay in size and thickness. These forms can reach as high as thirty-two inches, and the walls can be as thin as one-eighth of an inch. Camarillo expresses his imagination through the glazing process, using a variety of slips and glazes. The pots are fired at low-temperatures (1600-1800° F) in a raku kiln until red-hot, and then transferred to a bin or ground-pit with combustible material, such as paper, leaves, wood, or sawdust. The fire and smoke produce unexpected results such as luster, crackled, smoky, and swirling finishes in a variety of textures and colors. Depending on how the fire and smoke interact with the glazes, the spontaneous and unanticipated results create surfaces and textures that are unique and irreproducible.
Originally from Hawaii, Camarillo has been honing his skills in the art of raku pottery for over thirty years. He moved to the Washington, D.C. area in 1996, gaining local and national recognition as a ceramic artist and juried member of the prestigious Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia, as well as resident artist at Lee Arts Center in Falls Church, Virginia.
