When Juan Quezada first started to work in clay, the universe truly was on his side. His need for high quality raw materials was met locally with generous deposits of a variety of plastic clay. Juan had the brilliance and patience to find the clay deposits that came from the ground containing the right amount of temper. In addition, the local clay held a burnish well and fired to completion at the low temperatures (about thirteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit) of a dung firing. Juan tirelessly explored the countryside around Mata Ortiz. He once even followed a train of ants which led him to an especially fine clay deposit. The need for colorants was met in abundance locally with manganese and iron oxide available for someone willing to work hard. The manganese, already naturally blended with clay at a nearby abandoned mine, yielded an inky black paint perfect for Juan's pottery. Exploration and experimentation rewarded Juan with a renewable supply of superior materials with which to experiment and hone his craft.

But 1950s Mata Ortiz was no place to generate income as a potter...