This is a new creative direction by Dolores Curran.  She continues to create intricately incised and painted pottery.  Her husband, Alvin Curran, inspired her to create these red polychrome incised and painted.  He was known for his incised San Juan-style pottery in the late 1990s.  Dolores said this large jar is a new direction in her pottery.  It is coil-built and the rim is polished red.  The jar has a more deeply incised avanyu carved into the clay around the shoulder.  Above the avanyu are etched prayer feathers.  Below the shoulder are clouds with rain and water designs in a checkerboard pattern.  The base is micaceous.  The is a visually striking contrast of red and micaceous clay slips along with carved and incised areas.  Using a larger vessel allows Dolores to create more subtlety in the colors.  All the colorations are from natural clay slips.  It is an extraordinary amount of time to create intricate pieces in design and use the various clay additions.   The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dolores Curran”.

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