At age ten, Jose Angel Ortiz Arana began to learn to create traditional Tonalá pottery from his father Angel Ortiz Gabriel. They currently work together in his father’s studio and hand build each piece using press molds and then paint them with thin, delicate handmade brushes. The pottery most often depicts ancient myths, symbolism that relates to nationalism or Pre-Hispanic history, and animal and plant life. He has won several awards for his unique style of handmade pottery and design.