Local Artist Finds Second Act in the Clay

By R. Gabriel Villalobos

For years, Cindy Gutierrez admired the ceramic pieces that filled the Artist Gallery where she worked. She’d look at the mugs, bowls, and plates, each one unique, and feel a spark of inspiration.

“I just thought, ‘Man, I wish I could do that,’” Gutierrez recalled. “But I didn’t know how to go about it or anything.”

That wish simmered for years while Gutierrez, a jewelry maker of two decades, crafted and sold her work at shows across New Mexico. It wasn’t until a casual invitation last spring that her curiosity finally met its opportunity.

“About February or March of last year, one of the girls from the gallery invited me just to go check it out at the studio,” Gutierrez said. “I said, ‘Sure.’”

That first visit was transformative. Given a lump of clay, she started small, applying her jewelry-making skills to create little beads. With guidance from fellow artists at the studio, she quickly graduated to more complex forms. What began as a simple curiosity swiftly blossomed into a passion.

“From there, I just loved it,” she said, describing the craft as deeply therapeutic. “There’s something about it…going from mud to something beautiful. It’s just creating whatever you want.”

In little over a year, Gutierrez has not only developed a distinctive, whimsical style but has also become a sought-after vendor and, most recently, a teacher, guiding a new generation of local enthusiasts.

“I like to make stuff that you can use,” she explained. “Not really like sculptures or anything. Just useful objects.”

What makes her creations stand out is their inherent uniqueness. She rarely, if ever, makes two pieces exactly alike. Each item is a one-of-a-kind piece of art, often varying in shape, texture, or a vibrant splash of color. She believes this individuality is what resonates most with her customers.

“I think just ‘cuz they’re…very different,” Gutierrez said. “Each piece is like a piece of art to me. People, I think, appreciate the uniqueness.”

The local community’s appreciation for her work has been clear. After just over a year in the craft, she was asked to teach a class. Despite it being her first time instructing in pottery, her debut was a success.

“I had 10 students,” she said. “That’s a lot for my first time. I told them, ‘This is my first time teaching,’ but they thought I did really well. They all made their mugs, and they loved it.”

“It’s amazing,” Gutierrez said of sharing the craft. “So, people can just learn something new, like I did, and fall in love with it. It’s just kind of like playing in the dirt when you’re little, but you can really make stuff that you can use.”

The communal spirit of the studio is a key part of her creative process. She describes a lively, supportive environment where artists work side by side, chatting, laughing, and offering encouragement.

“Everybody’s just doing their own thing, and everybody talks and laughs,” she said. “It’s just a fun time. We all kind of help each other.”

As the summer heat begins to wane, Gutierrez is preparing for a busy season of vending at local events. She will be a vendor at Milton’s Brewery Septembeer Fest on September 20, at the Civic Center’s breast cancer awareness event on October 1, and at Art in the Park in Artesia on October 17-18.

For Gutierrez, the rapid journey from admirer to creator to teacher has been a rewarding chapter in a long artistic career. It’s a testament to the power of a simple invitation and the transformative magic of taking a lump of clay and shaping it into something both beautiful and useful.

Her work can be found at the Artist Gallery in Carlsbad.