Falling Sky Pottery Gallery has called Ocean Beach home since 1969. For more than 50 years this small seaside studio has drawn art-loving customers to their beachside location.

“I’ve been here about 30 years now,” said Gallery owner Isuro “Izzy” Elizondo. “I studied art at San Diego State with a major in ceramics, then I apprenticed here for 10 years. I bought the gallery when the previous owners retired.”

Elizondo is a master craftsman, his skill and attention to detail is evident in every piece, large or small as displayed in his gallery.

“I like to create my designs,” said Elizondo. “I’ve taken ideas from Western and Eastern civilizations; I combine the two and make them my own. I lived in Italy for a year where I studied classical Western art. I lived in Japan for five years studying Eastern art and ancient art.”

Like the true artist that he is, Elizondo strives to create a unique style that he can call his own. Each bowl, plate, and cup should be designed to transcend time.

“When I was in college someone would combine west and east, it would be like someone in a kimono jumping through the Golden Arches,” Elizondo said. “That’s very dated, whereas with my works, it could be buried for a hundred years, dig them up, and you couldn’t tell if they were a hundred years old or a thousand years old.”

Elizondo is quick to credit his mentors for their guidance, skill, and inspiration over the years.

“I was fortunate enough to work with Isama Kawaguchi, who received an honorary doctorate from the Museum of Art in Balboa Park, he was a very well-respected artist in San Diego. We worked together for 15 years; he also got me a teaching position at UC San Diego.

“We worked on a special technique called Neriage. That’s a way of mixing different clays to get different patterns. Using this technique takes a long time to prepare the clay and to make the piece.”

Elizondo pulled a plate with various shades of brown that were made using the Japanese method of Neriage.

“This is a very complex procedure,” said Elizondo. “It is entirely hand-built with each piece of colored clay all carefully put together. It takes about a month just to prepare the clay.”

Elizondo gently holds a clay cup made from several layers of different colored clay.

“This is called Green Ware, it is dried dirt that hasn’t been fired yet and is easily broken. It’s made from two different clay bodies that wrap completely around the piece, making it subtle and complex at the same time.”

FALLING SKY POTTERY GALLERY

Where: 1951 Abbott St. #8.

Contact: 619 226-6820.