Jordan Roller is innovative in his use of thin carved designs on his pottery.  This jar combines a unique color combination along with the complex carving. The jar is fully carved with incredibly detailed designs.  There is a stylized buffalo skull, lightning, clouds, and mountains.  Take a moment to look closely at the designs and the intricate carving.  There is such small space between some of the carved areas that Jordan says he uses just a folded piece of sandpaper to “carve” the lines.  Not only is the jar very intricately carved, but also highly polished and even the inside of the neck is polished!  The jar was traditionally fired a dark brown coloration. It is a beautiful even tonality to the surface.  It’s exciting to see a piece with such complexity and flow of design.  It is signed on the bottom.

Daryl Whitegeese is known for his traditional style Santa Clara pottery.  He coil builds amazing shapes which are then carved and stone polished.  This bowl is elongated with an oval shape.  This bowl is carved on the outside with an avanyu which encircles the entire piece.  Look closely and you can also see a micaceous slip in the background area surrounding the polished designs.  Daryl said this was one of his first attempts to use a mica background instead of matte.   The water serpent (or avanyu) is part of a Pueblo story where the Avanyu saves the village during a flood.  The rim is also fully polished to a sharp edge.  The inside is matte.   The oval shape is unusual but adds to the distinctive sense of proportionality to this piece.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This an unusual and intricate piece by Grace Medicine Flower.  It is from 1988.  The jar is carved with 63 straight melon ribs.  Each rib is rounded with a slight edge and on the top of the jar, they create a star design on the top when looking down.  The neck of the jar is also fully polished.  It is an amazingly complex piece of her work with a striking appearance.  The piece is fired a deep black in coloration.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Marvin Martinez is a great-great-grandson of noted potter Dominguita Pino Martinez, a great-grandson of Maria Martinez and a grandson of Adam and Santana Martinez.  Marvin works with his wife, Frances (from Santa Clara) on their pottery. This large bowl is wide in shape.  It is fully polished and has a feather pattern around the neck and a water serpent around the body of the piece.  It is very intricately painted with a complex design.  The bowl was traditionally fired black  It is signed on the bottom, “Marvin & Frances Martinez”  in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Alvin Baca is known for his classic melon ribbed jars. This red jar is carved with 24 ribs. The entire jar is fully polished, both between each rib as well as the base!  The shape is a classic for Alvin with the high shoulders and the short neck.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

David Baca is a son of Angela Baca and known for his traditional pottery.  This jar has a wide body and an elongated neck.  The shoulder of the jar is carved with 32 melon ribs.  Each rib is polished and they are matte between them.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Diane Lewis is known for her tightly painted miniature pottery.  This is one of her very intricately painted seedpots.  The top is painted with intricate Mimbres inspired women, fish and a woman playing the flute with a baby.  Separating the various images are geometric Acoma designs.  There is a cut-out in the clay on the top in the shape of a kiva step design.  All the colors are from natural clay slips.  It is an exciting modern interpretation of classic Acoma imagery.  It is signed on the bottom, “D. Lewis”.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This jar is a more classic Acoma form with the high shoulder and short neck.  It is fully painted with fine-line star and plant designs.  There is a very intricate checkerboard pattern at the neck and base.  The black is from bee-weed. The jar is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

Angie Yazzie is renown for her thin-walled Taos pottery. Each piece is coil built and made from micaceous clay from near Taos Pueblo.  Angie focuses on traditional shapes along with making each piece nearly paper thin!  It almost feels like there is nothing there when you hold one! This large bowl is carved on the rim in a step pattern.  It is often referred to as a cloud bowl or a “prayer bowl”.  The piece is made from micaceous clay so when it is fired it has a sparkling/metallic appearance.  Angie fires her pieces using wood, so it is a different firing process than Santa Clara blackware.  The result is that you can very slightly see the fire-clouds on the surface of the piece.  The bowl has some beautiful firing and when you look inside, it is almost like seeing clouds at night!  That is a great addition, as it speaks to the traditional firing methods!  The bowl is signed on the bottom, “Angie Yazzie”.  She has won numerous awards for her work, including “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market in 2017.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This jar is a more classic Acoma form with the high shoulder and short neck.  It is fully painted with fine-line rain designs and checkerboard snow patterns.  The black is from bee-weed. The jar is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

This is a stunning gunmetal fired box by Russell Sanchez.  The shape is inspired by the historic San Ildefonso boxes from the 1920’s.  The box is fully polished and fired a gunmetal coloration.  On two of the sides, there are mountain lions etched away.  Each mountain lion has an inset piece of Lone Mountain Turquoise.  On the ends are mountain designs with inset hematite beads.  Around the base are two bands of hematite hei-shi beads.  The surround a checkerboard band which is matte and mica slipped.   The lid is a mountain lion lying down and it is fully polished while the base of the lid is mica.  The style of the mountain lion is reminiscent of the stone mountain lions in Bandolier (see last photo).  Russell says here that the mountain lions represent the twin war gods who protect the village. The box has both a striking historic appearance and a contemporary feel.   The box is signed on the bottom, as is the lid.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

Linda Tafoya-Sanchez is a granddaughter of noted potter Margaret Tafoya and a daughter of Lee & Betty Tafoya.  She is known for her intricately carved pottery.  The jar has butterflies carved around the shoulder.  The base has flower petals carved and the neck is a swirling rain design.  The rim of the jar is also carved with a flower style and it is slipped in mica.  The contrast of the mica on the rim and the fully polished jar is striking.  There is a lot of variation in style, design, and technique on this jar.  Linda was among the first Santa Clara potters to begin using the mica as a design element after she was given some by her San Juan Pueblo in-laws.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Linda Tafoya-Sanchez”.

“The clay is a really important part of making the pottery. Listening to family members talk about how they used to get clay with Grandma and Grandpa [Margaret & Alcario Tafoya] and how they would make it an all-day venture. You feel that family connection when you are digging the clay out of the earth. It ties you to your home. There’s no other place you are going to find that kind of clay. You think about how many years people have dug that clay out of the earth, how many years Mother Earth has provided that clay for us.”  Linda Tafoya-Sanchez, Spoken Through Clay

This lidded jar by Johnathan Naranjo captures the beauty of the Santa Clara Pueblo Buffalo Dance.  Nearly every pueblo at the end of the year performs the Buffalo Dance.  There are male Buffalo Dancers and the female Buffalo Maiden.  This jar has the male dancer on one side and the female on the other.  They are etched with exceptional detail and realistic precision.  Note the small butterflies around the female dancer!  Separating them are very lightly etched bands of cloud and rain designs. The top section of the jar is matte and a dark brown, the same as the lid.   The coloration of the jar is derived from the firing technique.  The various shades of red and tan are achieved by lightly scraping away layers of polished surface!  This is a very difficult technique but visually is striking.  Johnathan has won numerous awards for his pottery.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This large jar by Les Namingha is inspired by Hopi-Tewa shapes and designs.  The band around the shoulder is a series of very classic Hopi-Tewa designs.  They are painted in traditional colorations.  However, it is the top and bottom of the jar which become the overall focus. The top has multi-color ellipses which extend downward from the rim and over the Hopi designs.  They give the jar a dynamic appearance.  When looking down from the top, the color and shape variations almost have a kinetic feel!  Les said he wanted it to look like a “pinwheel” with spinning colors.  The bottom of the jar has more solid geometric shapes and the multi-color forms are more angular. The jar itself is a classic Hopi shape with the wide shoulder and short neck.  It is a complex and striking jar.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This is bowl by Ida Sahmie is from 2009.  The design is the  Night Chant Dance with eight male Yei-bi-chi dancers encircling the jar.  The background area is fully painted with bee-weed (a plant) to make it black.  In the background, there are the mesas, moon, and stars.  The fire is meant to be a focal point as the bowl is turned so that it appears more “3D”.   Ida also incises into the clay for the faces and the bodies, leather, and masks.  The detail here is quite exceptional!  She is a daughter-in-law of Priscilla Nampeyo and Ida continues to make beautifully formed pottery with wonderfully complex designs.  She has won numerous awards for her pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market.  She is the only Navajo potter creating this unique style of ethnographic pottery.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Ida Sahmie”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

“Yei bichei (Yébîchai), or “maternal grandfather of the yei”, is another name of Talking God who often speaks on behalf of the other Holy People. (He, along with Growling God, Black God, and Water Sprinkler, were the first four Holy People encountered by the Navajo.) He is invoked (along with eight other male yei) in the “Night Chant” or “Nightway” sometimes simply called “Yei bichei,” a nine-night ceremony in which masked dancers personify the gods.”

Sharon Naranjo Garcia (b. 1951) is a granddaughter of Christina Naranjo.  She learned to make pottery from her grandmother and is known for her traditional style of pottery. This jar is a classic Santa Clara shape with the wide shoulder and sloping neck.  The neck is carved with a feather pattern and stone polished.  The central band is matte and carved with four cloud designs.  Below that matte band is a carved water serpent (avanyu) and it is stone polished, as is the lower section of the bowl.  It is fired a deep black.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Sharon Naranjo Garcia”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Frederica Antonio is renown for her intricately painted pottery. Each piece is coil built and then finely painted. Her designs are a series of fine vertical and horizontal lines which are then filled in to create larger images in the squares.  This jar is a classic Acoma water jar shape with a high shoulder and a long neck.  Frederica has used eight different designs on this jar.  The patterns are painted vertically with representations of corn, rain, snow, lighting, stars and other designs.  There are alternating bands of cloud designs painted in red and ocher-colored clays.  The neck is painted with mountain (painted clay colors) and cloud (black/white) designs.  This jar is exceptionally complex and visually varied as it is turned.  The base of the jar is concave, reminiscent of historic Acoma jars which were carried on the head.  This combination of thin walls, classic shape, and tightly painted design create a piece which is visually stunning!  The jar is signed on the bottom.

Erik Fender is the son of Martha Appleleaf and the grandson of noted potter Carmelita Dunlap. Erik combines classic San Ildefonso imagery with his own creative style. His pottery is signed, with his Tewa name, “Than Tsideh”.  This is a round bowl painted with a feather and storm design. The piece has a lid on which is painted a wind pattern.  The piece was fired black then “two-toned” green-on-black.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This jar by Samuel Manymules has a round, full shape with a short neck.  The neck of the jar has a classic water jar appearance.  The melon ribs swirl down from the neck to the base.  Each rib is pushed out in the clay and there is a deep groove separating them.  Note how they start narrow, then widen at the shoulder and then narrow again at the base.  As well, for being pushed out in the clay (as opposed to carved), they are very even in width!  The jar is traditionally fired and the coloration is vivid!  The variation of color from black to red to brown give the piece a sense of motion on the surface.  The browner areas are where it was fired to a higher temperature.  After the firing, the jar is covered with pine pitch in the traditional way expected of Navajo pottery.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is extraordinary vessels like this which keep Samuel among the top Navajo potters working today.

This a striking corrugated plate by Richard Zane Smith.   For his plates, the coils are smoothed out on one inside but left exposed on the other.  This distinctive style of pottery  is a revival of the pre-historic concept of corrugated pottery.  The earliest corrugated pieces were often baskets which had clay applied to them and then fired, creating a “corrugated” appearance.  The small coils are used as part of the design and give each piece a textural feel.  The plate provides a striking presentation of the corrugated style.  They ebb and flow across the surface creating small shadows when the plate is turned.  The coloration variation changes across the surface, creating a rainbow-like appearance.  The rim is incised to give the appearance of leather and the back in impressed with interlocking designs.  It is signed on the back, “Ricard Zane Smith”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  There is a wood stand which Richard made for the plate and which he also signed.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This seedpot has two dragonflies in the center of the piece.  They are surrounding a fineline star design.  The edges outside the star are slipped with a red clay.  The piece is very detailed for the size.   The seedpot is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

Monica Romero is a daughter of noted potter Geri Naranjo, a sister of Kevin Naranjo and a niece of Dolores Curran.  She is known for her very detailed miniature pottery.  This bowl is highly polished fully designed.  There is a water serpent around the shoulder of the piece and cloud, rain and lightning designs above.  Below the shoulder are feather and other pueblo designs.  The rim of the bowl is two-toned sienna.  It is signed on the bottom.

This oval bowl by Les Namingha is from 2004.  It is painted with acrylic on both the inside and outside.  On the inside, the central panel is painted with a series of Hopi birds.  They are very highly detailed with Les’s famous pointillism style.  There is a strong variation of color and complementary delicate lines.  The around the inside walls of the bowl are very textured to have the feeling of layers of paint.  The outside of the bowl is painted brown.   It is a fascinating piece and great to see how his work has evolved over time.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Les Namingha”.

Diane Lewis is known for her tightly painted miniature pottery.  This is one of her very intricately painted seedpots.  The top is painted with a Mimbres insect in the center of the piece.  It is surrounded by various geometric patterns seen on Acoma pottery.   All the various colors are from natural clay slips. The thin lines are very time consuming to paint!  The lizards are inspired by the Mimbres pottery of the 1100’s.  It is an exciting modern interpretation of classic Acoma imagery.  It is signed on the bottom, “Diane Lewis”.

This bowl by Dora Tse-Pe is from 1991.  The bowl is fully polished red with a central medallion.  The medallion has a carved bear in black surrounded by a mica slip.  There is a single band of turquoise hei-shi beads.  Check out the side views of the bowl, as you can see the cameo-style of carving for the bear!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dora of San Ildefonso”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This jar by Harrison Begay, Jr.is from 2001.  He has won numerous awards over the years for his deep carved pottery.  The jar is very deeply carved for the size and has three highly polished bears as the design.  Each bear is carved with a heartline and they are each separated by a lightning design in matte.  It is fired a deep black.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Arthur Lopez is one of the leading santos carvers in New Mexico.  After the piece is carved, is covered in gesso (a glue made from rabbit hide) which is allowed to dry and then sanded.  It is painted with both natural and watercolor pigment.  Natural colored pigments, such as the brown, are derived from black walnut hulls.   These are the time involved and historic foundations for his work.  This piece is entitled, “Geo-Madre-Lupe”.   It is a series of interconnected pieces based on the Virgin of Guadalupe.  Arthur said of this piece:

“I titled this, “Geo-Madre-Lupe”.  It is an abstract geoemtric form of the Virgin of Guadalupe.  It is based on the idea of building blocks of faith.  This is the first is a series based on this concept based on geometric shapes and forms.  Their iconography remains visually intact but the concept feels modern”.

The piece is very intricately painted and the placement of the squares seems both fragile and yet perfectly balanced.  The large size gives the piece an exceptional appearance in person!

Arthur’s work is found in numerous museum and public collections, including Albuquerque Museum of Art & History,  Denver Art Museum,  Freedom Museum (911 Memorial at Ground Zero), Harwood Museum of Art, Museum of International Folk Art,  Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and the State of New Mexico Permanent Art Collection.

Russell Sanchez continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery.  Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched.  This large bear is one of his classic shapes.  The piece is coil built and then stone polished a deep red.  The designs on the front are the rain and summer and the back are snow and winter.  Note the variation in the heartline which is a series of dots which flow around the surface.  The heartline which extends out from the mouth of the bear. The bear is a symbol of strength and the heartline is a traditional image used to symbolize the heart as the center of power in the animal.  The inside of the legs is polished black. The band across the back of the bear has five rows of square hematite and two rows of turquoise.  On the back of the bear are two pieces of Lone Mountain Turquoise.  It is not often that he creates such a large piece and the result is quite stunning.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

Russell Sanchez continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery.  Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched.  This box is one of his first incorporating a polished white clay slip!  The white is the same white clay used on historic San Ildefonso polychrome pottery when it was stone polished.  This piece has a culturally inspired shape and design.  The shape is from the traditional “corn meal” boxes, which were used to hold corn meal during Pueblo events. The raised or step area is a mountain.  This box has two old style snakes surrounding it on three sides.  They are slipped with red an black clay.  On the back side is a Sun Katsina design.  Again, etched into the clay and slipped with red and black clay slips along with the white clay.  Below the central design is a row of checkerboard polished black and matte.  The bottom band of design is separated by two inset bands of hematite hei-shi beads.  Not as if this box doesn’t have a lot going on, but check out the inside, which is highly polished black!  There is a band of turquoise beads separating the black from the red.  Simply spectacular!   As Russell continues to innovate from historic designs, he says, “Tradition means moving forward and adding to it. You keep moving forward.  If we stayed stagnant we would no longer exist.”  The box is signed on the bottom in the clay.  The last two photos are the box next to a San Ildefonso polychrome cornmeal box from the early 1900’s, for a comparison of this historic shape and polychrome coloration.  It is exciting to see how this imagery is not new but Russell’s reinterpretation of it both modernizes and revives.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

This is a creative bowl by Russell Sanchez.  He continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery.  Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched. This piece is a round bowl and has 20 circles carved into the clay.  Each is stone polished and they are separated by a mica slip.  The contrast of the polished and micaceous matte surfaces are striking.  Each of the circles is surrounded by a band of hematite hei-shi beads.  So, why hematite?  Russell has begun to use it on his recent pieces for several reasons. There is a traditional aspect in that women wear hematite bracelets when they do certain traditional dances at the Pueblo.  There is also hematite content in the clay slips use on the pottery.  The lid is a fully polished bear which is created with one paw raised. There is a wonderful sculptural aspect to the bear!  The piece is fired to a near gunmetal appearance which is striking with the high polish.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

James Garcia Nampeyo is a son of Leah Garcia Nampeyo, a grandson of Fannie Nampeyo and a great-grandson of Nampeyo of Hano.  This jar has a classic Hopi shape with the wide shoulder and short neck.  The design is one which finds inspiration in the work of Nampeyo of Hano.  There is a period when she made pieces with a checkered design (see last photo).  This jar draws from that along more classic Hopi-Tewa spiraling cloud patterns.  The piece is tightly painted with a design which meets the form.   It is painted with bee-weed (black) and was traditionally fired to give it the coloration with some intense blushes.  It is signed on the bottom, “James G. Nampeyo”.  It is in very good with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This tall jar by Daniel Begay combines both polished and carved designs.  The jar has four sections of design.  One has a turtle with a water and feather pattern. The design is deeply cut into the clay and it is matte.  The opposite side has a feather pattern on the top, then a star and cloud design with a water design near the base.  Again, the carved section is matte.  Separating the two sections are two large panels which are fully polished.  The contrast of the polished and matte sections works well on this jar to highlight the two different techniques.  The matte is always difficult as it has to be sanded smooth or else there will be shadows created by any uneven surface.  The jar is fired a deep black in coloration.   Note how Daniel’s designs also combine both thin and thicker lines to enhance the imagery.  The style of carving has a beveled appearance to the angle of the cuts into the clay.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This is an exceptional carved storage jar by Daniel Begay. He has been creating some unique shapes with flat or square sides. This piece is very round in shape with a short neck.  It is fully carved around the side, which is a lot of carving space!  The jar has a water serpent in one section.  Note the complexity to the body  and the unique set up of the design.  As the jar is turned there are polished and matte sections of cloud and lightning motifs.  The side opposite the avanyu has deeply carved stars which are both polished and matte.  Note near the base the little carved dragonfly!  There are additional bands of carved clouds and an eternity design.  The top and lower section are fully polished.  It is a striking piece in form and design.  Throughout his work, Daniel creates a strong visual contrast between the polished and matte surfaces, which adds to the sophistication of the imagery. Note how Daniel’s designs also combine both thin and thicker lines to enhance the imagery.  The style of carving has a beveled appearance to the angle of the cuts into the clay.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Burel Naha is the son of Helen “Featherwoman” Naha and a brother of Rainy Naha and Sylvia Naha.  While he no longer makes much pottery, he was well known for his intricately painted pieces and especially the use of the spider design.  This seedpot has a stylized version of the Awatovi Star design.  The “Awatovi Star” pattern was revived by her mother, Helen “Featherwoman” Naha.  Awatovi is one of the ruins near Hopi where a white slipped style of pottery was made.  It is a fascinating place as it was where Coronado made contact with the Hopi in 1540.  During the excavations in the 1930’s the whiteware pottery was rediscovered.  It was the imagery from his work which inspired much of Helen’s early pottery, as opposed to the more classic Sikyatki inspired pottery of Nampeyo of Hano.  Burel’s design has the star on the top and the bottom.  The central design is the “eternity band” which was also seen on Helen’s pottery.  The bottom half has a swirling cloud and the top has a plant design.  The piece is tightly painted and traditionally fired.  It is painted using bee-weed (black) on a white kaolin clay surface.  It is signed on the bottom with a feather and a Long Hair katsina, which is his hallmark.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Wallace Nez is known for his intricately etched pottery.  He began to make pottery when he was 12 years old.  He won first place ribbons at the Santa Fe Indian Market in 1999, 2000, and 2001 and Best of Division at the Museum of Northern Arizona Market Show in 1999.  This wide seedpot has amazingly intricate designs etched into the clay. There is one larger medallion with an etched deer looking upward.  It is looking at the five medallions, each with a different butterfly.  Surrounding them are very intricate stylized designs.  Below the shoulder there are larger etched butterflies.  The base is etched with a basket weave design in the style of a Navajo Wedding Basket.  Note the exceptional symmetry of the basket “weave”.  It is all so intricately and delicately designed, it is quite extraordinary!  The piece is signed on the bottom “Wallace Nez” with the date of 2006.

Wallace Nez is known for his intricately etched pottery.  He began to make pottery when he was 12 years old.  He won first place ribbons at the Santa Fe Indian Market in 1999, 2000, and 2001 and Best of Division at the Museum of Northern Arizona Market Show in 1999.  This tall seedpot has amazingly intricate designs etched into the clay. There are four medallions, each with a different butterfly.  Surrounding them are very intricate stylized designs.  Near the base there are larger etched butterflies.  The lid is tiny and fits perfectly.  It is etched with two butterflies.  It is all so intricately and delicately designed, it is quite extraordinary!  The piece is signed on the bottom “Wallace Nez” with the date of 2006.

This bowl by Gloria Garcia is fully polished and fired black. The designs are etched into the clay.  There are eight Mimbres inspired fish as the design.  Each fish is different.  There is a water design around the rim of the bowl.   Gloria’s combination of polishing and etched designs is always striking.  This piece is signed on the bottom with her Tewa name “GoldenRod”.

This bowl by Gloria Garcia is fully polished and fired black. The designs are etched into the clay.  There are two scenes, each with realistic bears as the design.  Separating them are two bands with etched bear paws. There is an additional red clay slip added to the rain design around the rim of the bowl.  Gloria’s combination of polishing and etched designs is always striking.  This piece is signed on the bottom with her Tewa name “GoldenRod”.

This is a larger and complex jar by Harrison Begay, Jr..  He has won numerous awards over the years for his deep carved pottery.  This jar is a water jar shape with a flat rim and tall sides.  The designs are deeply carved into the clay and combine both polished and matte surfaces.  There is a large hummingbird which is fully polished along with two flowers.  This jar combines both “realistic” and traditional design elements. As the jar is turned there is a water pattern and then two large old style dragonflies.  The dragonflies have the double wings and are surrounded by wind designs.  It is a complex but flowing group of designs.   The polished sections stand out more in contrast to the black matte areas.  The jar also has a flat rim, which is fully polished on the top and side.  The polished rim is a nice complement both to the shape and the intricate designs.  Note as well the style of carving, which has a beveled appearance to the angle of the cuts into the clay. This is a very distinctive style of carving for his pottery.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Harrison”.

This water jar by Samuel Manymules is striking shape for his pottery.  It is coil built and slipped with a red clay and then traditionally fired.  The shape is inspired by the classic water jar with the elongated neck and the slightly turned out rim.  On the shoulder, the jar just dips down a bit before the sharp edge which starts the swirls.  There are four large swirls which circle around the jar from the shoulder to the base.  They are basically flat and each is separated by a sharp ridge.  Each rib is pushed out from the inside to create the sharp “edge”.  This turns out to be a striking form as the neck and sides reflect the intense coloration form the traditional firing.   From dark black to brown and red, the colors spiral across the surface of this jar.  After the firing, the jar is covered with pine pitch in the traditional way expected of Navajo pottery.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is extraordinary vessels like this which keep Samuel among the top Navajo potters working today.

This is a striking water jar by Daryl Whitegeese.  Daryl said he was inspired by the shapes of the water jars made by his grandmother, Margaret Tafoya.  The jar has the classic double shoulder or “rainbow ridge”.  This is not just an added coil on the surface, but if you feel inside the jar, you can actually feel the second shoulder.  I wrote of the rainbow ridge on Santa Clara pottery:

“Sarafina was inspired by the myths and legends of Santa Clara Pueblo, which were incorporated into her pottery. On the shoulder of her water jars, a second raised section or ‘double shoulder’ created a ‘rainbow band.’ This band was a prayer to keep the water from evaporating from the jar.” —CHARLES S. KING, 2008, Born of Fire: The Life and Pottery of Margaret Tafoya

The jar is highly polished and traditionally fired a dark black.  There is a single bear paw as the design on one side of the neck.  The bear paws represent a Tewa story where a bear led the Pueblo people to water during a drought.   The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Definitely a classic piece keeping family history alive!  Congrats to Daryl who recently won “Best of Pottery at the Heard Museum Indian Market in 2019!

Titus Davis is the son of noted potter Darla Davis and a brother-in-law of Eric Lewis.  He creates hand-built pottery that combines the classic fine-line designs with a modern approach.  This jar has a round shape with a slight shoulder.  The fineline patterns encompass the surface of the piece.  There is a negative space is a series of moon phases.  The shape and designs work perfectly together.  It is signed on the bottom.

This jar by Les Namingha uses traditional Hopi clay, is painted with bee-weed and natural clay slips,  and it was traditionally fired. The jar is from the late 1990’s.  The piece is fully polished and it has a free flowing cloud, rain and sun design.  It is interesting to see how early on Les had evolved from traditional Hopi-Tewa designs to more create and innovative imagery.  Today, his work utilizes acrylic as opposed to the traditional clay slips.  The various colors on the surface are the blushes from the firing.  It is signed, “Les Namingha” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is an exceptional storage jar by Jason Ebelacker. The storage jar is a classic shape for Santa Clara pottery.  It is also one which many potters try to achieve and many consider one over 16″ to be a goal height when each added inch adds additional risk.  The shape of the jar has a high shoulder and a short neck. This taller style of storgae jar (as opposed to rounder) is most often associated with the work of Jason’s father Richard Ebelacker, as well as Sarafina Tafoya (Jason’s great-great-grandmother).  The jar is coil built and stone polished.  There are two bear paws as the design on either side.  The bear paw is carved into the clay and then polished.  The use of the bear paw is part of a story where a bear led the Pueblo people to water during a drought.  Jason fired the jar a deep red, which is always a bit more difficult to fire than a black, as the color can vary more dramatically from the flames and smoke.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Jason is a son of noted potter Richard Ebelacker, a grandson of Virginia Ebelacker and great-grandson of Margaret Tafoya.  He has won numerous awards for his pottery and continues to be one of the younger potters to watch.  It’s great to see the continuing evolution of his work in clay and to see him continuing a family tradition of storage jars!

This painting by Les Namingha is entitled, “Polychrome II (Dextra Series)”.  It is one of a series of acrylic paintings on canvas he made which explore both his pottery and that of his aunt, Dextra Quotskuyva.  This piece was made in 2010.  The central panel has a classic Hopi-Tewa design with two hummingbirds.  Note the intricacy of the two birds and the surrounding designs.  The various colors depict both his work and Dextra’s.  The painting is signed on the front and on the back.  It is in excellent condition.

Juan Cruz creates complex painted polychrome pottery.  He is a son of noted potter Lois Gutierrez.  Lois made the jar and Juan, who is noted for his illustrations, painted the design using natural clay slips.  This jar has a rounder shape and intricately painted figures.  Juan wrote of the scene he painted as follows:

“This piece was inspired by my admiration for ancient Greek pottery and is my own interpretation of the Pleiades star cluster, which is also known as the Seven Sisters.  In Greek mythology, the Pleiads were the seven daughters of Atlas and the oceanid Pleione. The sisters were Maia, Electra, Alcyone, Taygete, Asterope, Celaeno and Merope.  In my design, I’ve depicted them as Tewa women with some holding stylized star pattern baskets.

The jar is truly polychrome (more than three colors of clay).  Note the intricacy of the painted designs and the flow of imagery across the piece.   The description is written on the back of a hand-painted graphic of the four directions.  What a phenomenal addition to this piece and the painting helps to better understand how exceptional Juan is with his art.   While Juan is new to the pottery world, he recently won “Best of Pottery” at Gallup Ceremonials in 2017 and has been featured in articles in Cowboys & Indians Magazine and Native Art Magazine in 2018.

Al Qoyawayma is known for innovative pottery.  This piece is from 1986 and is a classic wide shoulder water jar.  The jar is stone polished in a vertical manner, which historically is often called an “onion skin” polish.  The jar has four flute players as the design and they are each created in repousse, which is to say that they are pushed out from the inside (not applique).  Al has often used the Flute Player, or Kokopelli, as a design on his pottery.  It is an ancient figure often found on rock art throughout the southwest and “represents wisdom, goodness, and fertility.”  The jar is signed on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This large jar by Al Qoyawayma is a amazing piece with sophisticated clay work and beautiful detail in the carved designs.  The jar has an elegant shape with a narrow base and a wide shoulder with a slightly turned out neck.  Al looks back to the past for inspiration in his designs on his polychrome pottery.  He is also thinking about the future and historic “what if”, in the sense that how would Hopi pottery have evolved if no Western contact.  His polychrome pieces are often a response to this thoughtful query.  This jar has Sikytaki inspired patterns with bird, plant and corn patterns.  The corn design is carved in relief on the surface of the jar.  The small green slipped bird is a perfect addition to the piece!  All the carving is accented with various clay colors.  There are several colors on the top of this piece that are very difficult to achieve in a polished form (such as the tan and yellow colors!). This piece is a striking balance of form, sculpture, color and design!  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This new jar by Tammy Garcia is a round shape with a slight neck.  The jar has a classic dragonfly carved into the clay and polished red.  Behind the dragonfly is a lightning pattern polished tan.  The remainder of the jar has deeply carved sections which are either polished or stippled. The jar has various levels of carving, which give the piece a dramatic appearance.  There is a single inset piece of turquoise.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery and been the recipient of the New Mexico Governor’s award.  It’s not surprising that with the intricate nature of her pottery she makes only about ten pieces of pottery a year.  Yes. Ten!  Yet each piece is unique and expands on her distinctive style and voice in the clay.

This wide bowl by Nathan Youngblood which is part of his series, “The Space Between”.  These pieces are inspired by the early carved work of Sarafina Tafoya (1863-1949) and Margaret Tafoya (1904-2001).  This wide bowl has a carved avanyu encircling the piece.  The avanyu is deeply carved into the clay before being polised and fired.  Nathan said of the avanyu design:

 “The water serpent (avanyu) is not what people think of a ‘water snake’.  It is a reference to the way the rivers run.  They are all integrated and connect everything.  Creeks become streams, streams become rivers which become oceans.  The oceans are fed by everything around the world.  It binds us. That is why when we go to the water and throw in cornmeal and pray.  The water and water serpent connect us to the entire world.”

In addition to the avanyu, there are impressed rainbows around the neck of the piece. They are carved into the clay and then Nathan stone polishes the surface to his “glass-like” appearance.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and deer tracks, which represent his name in Tewa, which means “Deer Path”.   Simply elegant combo of carving and polishing.

“The Space Between”: Santa Clara Carved Pottery 1920-Present

Elegant! This new jar by Tammy Garcia is a delicate shape with correspondingly delicate imagery.  The designs encompass the surface of this piece and the shape of the water jar is striking with the sharp shoulder and the raindrop rim.  The jar has 27 fl0wers, each deeply carved with a raised central section.  There are very delicately carved thin lines which separate each petal of each flower.   There are three elaborate medallions, each carved with a trout in the center.  The trout are amazing, as not only are they highly polished, but each has different marking painted onto the clay.  As for the designs around the medallions,  Tammy says she has been creating “frames” for her designs.  Here, each medallion is framed with bear paws and floral designs.  There are additional bear paws across the surface of the jar. The bear paws are symbolic for good luck.  Note the variety of colors on the jar!  There are deep red and tan areas on the surface.  The various colors are from different clay slips. She has also texturized sections of her work and even rounded out surfaces, like the area above each fish!  The entire jar has numerous levels of carving from the raised flowers to the interiors of the bear paws.  Note as well the matte areas of the jar.  This is technically one of the most difficult parts of this piece, as they have to be sanded perfectly smooth so that no raised areas cast shadows.  It’s very time-consuming.  Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery and been the recipient of the New Mexico Governor’s award.  It’s not surprising that with the intricate nature of her pottery she makes only about ten pieces of pottery a year.  Yes. Ten!  Yet each piece is unique and expands on her distinctive style and voice in the clay.

Al Qoyawayma is well known for his innovative Hopi pottery.  This jar employs his classic technical style of repousse.  What is repousse?  It means that the clay is pushed in from the front to create the oval shape for the design and that the figure is then pushed out from the inside! The figure on this piece is a Butterfly Woman stylized after Hopi mural drawings.  The figure is actually pushed out from the inside and is not applique (i.e. clay added to the surface).  While this is a time-consuming process, the results are dramatic. The figure is wonderfully detailed.  The remainder of the jar is fully polished in contrast to the matte area of the design.  Note the slight asymmetry to the rim.  The jar is signed on the bottom.

This is a deeply carved and highly polished red jar by Nathan Youngblood.  He is well known for his carved pottery and use of both traditional Santa Clara and other designs. This jar has a wide shoulder and a sloping neck.  The area around the center is fully carved with design.  Nathan says of the design,

“The jar has three different cloud designs.  One is the clouds just circling in the sky.  The next are the clouds building up to get ready to rain. The third group has the clouds and the rain coming down.  Right where the rain is coming down is where I etched the deer tracks.  The deer have come out to enjoy a spring rain.”

The jar is very fully carved and each of the sections of design builds up in concept as the jar is turned.  The four deer tracks etched into the clay are near the base of the jar.    The red clay slip is deep and rich in coloration and the jar was traditionally fired. The shape shows off the imagery and the angle of the short neck beautifully reflects the light.  While the shape, carving, and designing might seem like enough, Nathan also takes his pottery one step further. After it is fired, he uses small screwdrivers and scrapes the sides of the carved designs and the recessed areas, to create a visually striking contrast.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and deer tracks, which represent his name in Tewa.

Juan Cruz creates complex painted polychrome pottery.  He is a son of noted potter Lois Gutierrez.  Lois made the jar and Juan, who is noted for his illustrations, painted the design using natural clay slips.  This water jar has sloping sides and intricately painted figures.  Juan wrote of the scene he painted as follows:

“And the Sisters asked, “What new creation is in these next two bowls?”  They hold them aloft and from one emerged the songbirds of the trees and form the other emerged the birds of pretty; each having the breath of life given to it.”

The jar is truly polychrome (more than three colors of clay).  Note the intricacy of the painted designs and especially the figures.  On one side are the two women holding kiva bowls.  Next to one is a songbird and next to the other is a hawk (bird of prey).   The description is written on the back of a hand-painted graphic of the four directions.  What a phenomenal addition to this piece and the painting helps to better understand how exceptional Juan is with his art.   While Juan is new to the pottery world, he recently won “Best of Pottery” at Gallup Ceremonials in 2017 and has been featured in articles in Cowboys & Indians Magazine and Native Art Magazine in 2018.

This is a spectacular architectural piece from Al Qoyawayma.  It is one of his pieces from his “Mesa Verde” series.  The oval area is pushed into the clay and then the building is pushed back out from the inside of the bowl.  Beyond the technical, this large bowl has a very intricate designed Mesa Verde series of buildings. There are four tall towers in the background, which are square in shape.  Against the back as well is a long wall,which is beautifully incised and painted with clay slips to give the “bricks” a more realistic appearance.  In the front of the piece are three kivas.  A kiva is a ceremonial round room which historically was built into the ground. There are two covered kivas and one to the right which is missing the roof.  The other two have small ladders which lead down into the kiva.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Al’s architectural pieces are among his most iconic works!

Marla Allison is a from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico. She lives and makes art from her home studio where she finds inspiration by connecting with family, tradition, and being close to her community. Marla is a contemporary Native artist whose primary medium is painting.

This new painting incorporates gold and silver leaf along with the acrylic.  The piece is entitled, “Clouds and Flowers“.  Marla says of this painting:

“As the morning sun lights the day with golden rays, movement of awakening starts to twitch each resting life anew, so is the need for each other.  As the flowers need the sun and the clouds start to lift in new light, a breath of another grateful morning starts again.  This is the moment of gratitude for another day.”

All of Marla’s paintings have a “gallery wrap” so the painting continues onto the side so that framing is not necessary.

Marla says of her painting:

“I am from Laguna Pueblo so I paint Laguna Pueblo. I paint and create for Laguna history to be great and remembered. I paint because I was passed down a gift from my grandfathers; I paint to continue what they started. I began with simple works of loose brush strokes, slight symbols of pottery design, and shapes taught to me in my youth. I researched the artists that I found powerful and connected what they did with what I do. From study and admiration, I found that I had something all my own.  Most of my influence is from pottery design of Laguna Pueblo and Hopi Pueblo. I have also found much influence by the cubism of Pablo Picasso and squares of Paul Klee. I don’t stick with one certain style but it is all my own, that’s what makes it mine. With the use of pottery design, I have painted landscapes that have design on them symbolizing where the clay that holds these designs comes from. I have painted mosaic paintings that are broken up squares and by taking these paintings apart with the image, the viewer is forced to visually put them back together as a way of putting themselves and their past into it in the process.  I paint so I remember where I came from. I paint so others can remember where I come from. I paint to be remembered.”

Allison began her expression through art in her youth and gained formal education at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, NM where she obtained an Associates Degree in three-dimensional art. Since graduating from IAIA, Marla has exhibited artwork at the Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market, the Santa Fe Indian Market, and the Smithsonian Native Art Market in New York. Permanent collections with Marla’s work are found in, The Heard Museum Permanent Collection (Phoenix, AZ), The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (Santa Fe, NM), The Red Cloud Indian School Collections (Pine Ridge, SD) and various private collections around the country and also Rome, Italy.  She was also the 2010 recipient of the Eric and Barbara Dobkin Native Woman’s Fellowship at the School for Advanced Research (SAR) in Santa Fe, NM.

Marla Allison is a from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico. She lives and makes art from her home studio where she finds inspiration by connecting with family, tradition, and being close to her community. Marla is a contemporary Native artist whose primary medium is painting.

This new painting incorporates gold and silver leaf along with the acrylic.  The piece is entitled, “The Sketchbook“.  Marla says of this painting:

“I am a dreamer.  Perhaps we all are dreamers.  This is not particularly myself, but in my imaginary kingdom, perhaps it is who I want to be.  Surrounded by vivid colors and ornamented with elaborate clothes and jewelry is a pretty thought.  As a reality, we can’t all dress like this nor feel like this all the time, but it is a nice thought.  A dreamer’s vision.”

All of Marla’s paintings have a “gallery wrap” so the painting continues onto the side so that framing is not necessary.

Marla says of her painting:

“I am from Laguna Pueblo so I paint Laguna Pueblo. I paint and create for Laguna history to be great and remembered. I paint because I was passed down a gift from my grandfathers; I paint to continue what they started. I began with simple works of loose brush strokes, slight symbols of pottery design, and shapes taught to me in my youth. I researched the artists that I found powerful and connected what they did with what I do. From study and admiration, I found that I had something all my own.  Most of my influence is from pottery design of Laguna Pueblo and Hopi Pueblo. I have also found much influence by the cubism of Pablo Picasso and squares of Paul Klee. I don’t stick with one certain style but it is all my own, that’s what makes it mine. With the use of pottery design, I have painted landscapes that have design on them symbolizing where the clay that holds these designs comes from. I have painted mosaic paintings that are broken up squares and by taking these paintings apart with the image, the viewer is forced to visually put them back together as a way of putting themselves and their past into it in the process.  I paint so I remember where I came from. I paint so others can remember where I come from. I paint to be remembered.”

Allison began her expression through art in her youth and gained formal education at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, NM where she obtained an Associates Degree in three-dimensional art. Since graduating from IAIA, Marla has exhibited artwork at the Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market, the Santa Fe Indian Market, and the Smithsonian Native Art Market in New York. Permanent collections with Marla’s work are found in, The Heard Museum Permanent Collection (Phoenix, AZ), The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (Santa Fe, NM), The Red Cloud Indian School Collections (Pine Ridge, SD) and various private collections around the country and also Rome, Italy.  She was also the 2010 recipient of the Eric and Barbara Dobkin Native Woman’s Fellowship at the School for Advanced Research (SAR) in Santa Fe, NM.

Marla Allison is a from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico. She lives and makes art from her home studio where she finds inspiration by connecting with family, tradition, and being close to her community. Marla is a contemporary Native artist whose primary medium is painting.

This new painting incorporates gold and silver leaf along with the acrylic.  The piece is entitled, “Dragonfly and Moonlight“.  Marla says of this painting:

“Dragonflies are so soft to the touch you might not even know they have even landed on you until you feel the wind tugging at it’s wings and the small feet tightening on to your skin.  This painting is that feeling of special contact and warming you throughout making you hold your breath so not to loose the moment and hope time stands still for the moment to last.”

All of Marla’s paintings have a “gallery wrap” so the painting continues onto the side so that framing is not necessary.

Marla says of her painting:

“I am from Laguna Pueblo so I paint Laguna Pueblo. I paint and create for Laguna history to be great and remembered. I paint because I was passed down a gift from my grandfathers; I paint to continue what they started. I began with simple works of loose brush strokes, slight symbols of pottery design, and shapes taught to me in my youth. I researched the artists that I found powerful and connected what they did with what I do. From study and admiration, I found that I had something all my own.  Most of my influence is from pottery design of Laguna Pueblo and Hopi Pueblo. I have also found much influence by the cubism of Pablo Picasso and squares of Paul Klee. I don’t stick with one certain style but it is all my own, that’s what makes it mine. With the use of pottery design, I have painted landscapes that have design on them symbolizing where the clay that holds these designs comes from. I have painted mosaic paintings that are broken up squares and by taking these paintings apart with the image, the viewer is forced to visually put them back together as a way of putting themselves and their past into it in the process.  I paint so I remember where I came from. I paint so others can remember where I come from. I paint to be remembered.”

Allison began her expression through art in her youth and gained formal education at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, NM where she obtained an Associates Degree in three-dimensional art. Since graduating from IAIA, Marla has exhibited artwork at the Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market, the Santa Fe Indian Market, and the Smithsonian Native Art Market in New York. Permanent collections with Marla’s work are found in, The Heard Museum Permanent Collection (Phoenix, AZ), The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (Santa Fe, NM), The Red Cloud Indian School Collections (Pine Ridge, SD) and various private collections around the country and also Rome, Italy.  She was also the 2010 recipient of the Eric and Barbara Dobkin Native Woman’s Fellowship at the School for Advanced Research (SAR) in Santa Fe, NM.

Marla Allison is a from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico. She lives and makes art from her home studio where she finds inspiration by connecting with family, tradition, and being close to her community. Marla is a contemporary Native artist whose primary medium is painting.

This painting incorporate gold and silver leaf along with the acrylic.  The piece is entitled, “Gifts to Remember“.  Marla says of this painting:

“We all have that special keepsake whether ephemeral or permanent to hold forever.  The moment of knowing such a gift is given is what you want to breathe in, to hold on to, see in blinding light so it burns it’s memory in your brain to never forget that perfect moment.  I wanted this painting to be my feeling of happiness and symbolized with a bluebird for beauty and a white flower for purity.  This is a feeling I have felt before and what I wanted to last forever if at least on canvas.”

All of Marla’s paintings have a “gallery wrap” so the painting continues onto the side so that framing is not necessary.

Marla says of her painting:

“I am from Laguna Pueblo so I paint Laguna Pueblo. I paint and create for Laguna history to be great and remembered. I paint because I was passed down a gift from my grandfathers; I paint to continue what they started. I began with simple works of loose brush strokes, slight symbols of pottery design, and shapes taught to me in my youth. I researched the artists that I found powerful and connected what they did with what I do. From study and admiration, I found that I had something all my own.  Most of my influence is from pottery design of Laguna Pueblo and Hopi Pueblo. I have also found much influence by the cubism of Pablo Picasso and squares of Paul Klee. I don’t stick with one certain style but it is all my own, that’s what makes it mine. With the use of pottery design, I have painted landscapes that have design on them symbolizing where the clay that holds these designs comes from. I have painted mosaic paintings that are broken up squares and by taking these paintings apart with the image, the viewer is forced to visually put them back together as a way of putting themselves and their past into it in the process.  I paint so I remember where I came from. I paint so others can remember where I come from. I paint to be remembered.”

Allison began her expression through art in her youth and gained formal education at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, NM where she obtained an Associates Degree in three-dimensional art. Since graduating from IAIA, Marla has exhibited artwork at the Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market, the Santa Fe Indian Market, and the Smithsonian Native Art Market in New York. Permanent collections with Marla’s work are found in, The Heard Museum Permanent Collection (Phoenix, AZ), The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (Santa Fe, NM), The Red Cloud Indian School Collections (Pine Ridge, SD) and various private collections around the country and also Rome, Italy.  She was also the 2010 recipient of the Eric and Barbara Dobkin Native Woman’s Fellowship at the School for Advanced Research (SAR) in Santa Fe, NM.

Marla Allison is a from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico. She lives and makes art from her home studio where she finds inspiration by connecting with family, tradition, and being close to her community. Marla is a contemporary Native artist whose primary medium is painting.

This new painting incorporates gold and silver leaf along with the acrylic.  The piece is entitled, “Stars & Clouds”.  Marla says of this painting:

“Oh, the ever brightening stars, how I yearn for more to guide my path.  With every twinkle to brighten my eyes I wait for the night when everything is calm and restful.  If only the clouds would sway clear so my full sight could see the full brilliance that has long been awaited for.  Let these stars and clouds become one and shine together in soft moonlight.”

All of Marla’s paintings have a “gallery wrap” so the painting continues onto the side so that framing is not necessary.

Marla says of her painting:

“I am from Laguna Pueblo so I paint Laguna Pueblo. I paint and create for Laguna history to be great and remembered. I paint because I was passed down a gift from my grandfathers; I paint to continue what they started. I began with simple works of loose brush strokes, slight symbols of pottery design, and shapes taught to me in my youth. I researched the artists that I found powerful and connected what they did with what I do. From study and admiration, I found that I had something all my own.  Most of my influence is from pottery design of Laguna Pueblo and Hopi Pueblo. I have also found much influence by the cubism of Pablo Picasso and squares of Paul Klee. I don’t stick with one certain style but it is all my own, that’s what makes it mine. With the use of pottery design, I have painted landscapes that have design on them symbolizing where the clay that holds these designs comes from. I have painted mosaic paintings that are broken up squares and by taking these paintings apart with the image, the viewer is forced to visually put them back together as a way of putting themselves and their past into it in the process.  I paint so I remember where I came from. I paint so others can remember where I come from. I paint to be remembered.”

Allison began her expression through art in her youth and gained formal education at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, NM where she obtained an Associates Degree in three-dimensional art. Since graduating from IAIA, Marla has exhibited artwork at the Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market, the Santa Fe Indian Market, and the Smithsonian Native Art Market in New York. Permanent collections with Marla’s work are found in, The Heard Museum Permanent Collection (Phoenix, AZ), The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (Santa Fe, NM), The Red Cloud Indian School Collections (Pine Ridge, SD) and various private collections around the country and also Rome, Italy.  She was also the 2010 recipient of the Eric and Barbara Dobkin Native Woman’s Fellowship at the School for Advanced Research (SAR) in Santa Fe, NM.

This is an extraordinary tall jar by Nancy Youngblood. The shape is one which has become iconic for her pottery and especially the melon ribs.  The straight sides show off all the various designs.  On two of the sections there are shells.  Why shells?  They are often used in Pueblo dances and ceremonies as part of necklaces.  The interesting aspect to them on Nancy’s pottery is that each of the sections is rounded out and polished just like her melon ribs!  The two other sections have various melon swirl designs carved into they clay. They are more “free form” and ebb and flow to create unique shapes.  There are deep ridges and rounded sections.  It is a beautiful flow of design on the jar!  The background area is perfectly sanded and smooth to contrast with the highly polished sections. This is always difficult as the matte areas can cast shadows if they are note smooth.  The lid is also carved with swirls of ribbed designs.  Throughout the entire piece the angles of her carving create a strong surface for the reflection of light.  Nancy said of this style of her work:

“I’ve had problems that if I carve it too thin, it will break. I’ve had that happen so many times. I get to the end and I’m carving the single ribs and it has an air pocket in it. You wet it with slip and then when you touch it, with the first stroke of the stone, the clay falls off. There’s nothing you can do. It’s a loss.”  Nancy Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay

Nancy has won numerous awards, from “Best of Pottery” to “Best of Show” at Santa Fe Indian Market for her melon bowls.  This new jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  This is undoubtedly a contemporary classic of her style!

Debbie Clashin has become one of the exciting leaders in Hopi-Tewa pottery over the past several years.  She is known for her large-sized traditional fired vessels.  This large jar is a wide shape and a slightly turned out neck.  The entire piece is stone polished and then it is painted with bee-weed and natural clay slips.  The design has two large birds, bird tails and and panels with sun and mesa designs. The painting on the jar is delicate and flowing with the additional areas which are mottled.  The jar is traditionally fired with blushes across the surface of the jar and a few little darker areas.   It is signed on the bottom with her name and a pipe for his “Tobacco Clan”.

This is a complex jar by Lois Gutierrez.  She is one of the few potters who continues to create polychrome pottery at Santa Clara.  Polychrome, or more than three different colors of clay slips, are all painted onto the surface of the vessel before it is fired. This is a water jar shape with a wide shoulder and an elongated neck. The jar is painted with three panels of design, each with a bear and an avanyu.   The story of the bear and the Pueblo people is that the bear leads the people to water during a drought.  Here, the bear and water serpent are connected in their designs.  They are each every intricately designed with different clay slips.  Above the avanyu are bear paws and below the shoulder is an additional bear paw design.  All the colors are derived from natural clay slips.   This jar has over five different natural clay colors utilized.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Lois”.   This is an intricate piece of Lois’s pottery which combines a cultural legacy in design with one in clay.

Christopher Youngblood creates intricately carved vessels which reflect a perfect balance of matte and polished surfaces with intricately carved designs.   This box is square in shape. Creating boxes is always technically difficult as the flat sides can easily crack during drying or firing.  This piece is fully carved on the outside and the inside of the box has a micaceous clay slip. The side of the box has four different styles of melon ribs.  Each goes a different direction or has a variation in the swirl but they each flow seamlessly into the next side!  Carving and the polishing to create this seamless flow is difficult but the results are striking.  The lid has additional melon ribs extending down on both sides.  The piece was traditionally fired (see the last two photos) inside a metal box to keep out smoke and create a more consistent coloration. The result, however, is a striking coloration to the red and the contrasting matte surface.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  I’m pleased that I have been working with Chris since 2010 when I wrote the first article on him for Native People’s magazine.  It is exciting to see how his work has progressed over the years and the awards for his pottery, including the 2104 “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market.  He was featured in the book, Spoken Through Clay, and continues to be one of the leading young potters working today.

Christopher Youngblood creates intricately carved vessels which reflect a perfect balance of matte and polished surfaces with intricately carved designs.   This box is rectangular in shape. Creating boxes is always technically difficult as the flat sides can easily crack during drying or firing.  This piece is fully carved on the outside and the inside of the box has a micaceous clay slip. The side of the box has two avanyu encircling the piece.  The body of each avanyu consists of rain and lightning designs. The Avanyu, or water serpent, is a design often seen in Santa Clara Pueblo pottery and is part of a story where the avanyu saves the village from a flood.  The lid is as exceptional as the box, as it is flat and fully carved.  The sides of the finial each have a water serpent as the design.  The flat part of the lid has swirling water designs.  Note the smooth matte areas in contrast to the highly polished relief areas.  The last photos are of the bowl being traditionally fired black. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  I’m pleased that I have been working with Chris since 2010 when I wrote the first article on him for Native People’s magazine.  It is exciting to see how his work has progressed over the years and the awards for his pottery, including the 2104 “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market.  He was featured in the book, Spoken Through Clay, and continues to be one of the leading young potters working today.

Christopher Youngblood creates intricately carved vessels which reflect a perfect balance of matte and polished surfaces with intricately carved designs.   This oval bowl is a shape which perfectly lends itself to his carved designs.  The long sides of the bowl have three different style of melon ribs.  There are vertical, swirl and “s” swirl.  On the ends are round cloud swirls.  The ribs are deeply carved and very highly polished.  Their precision is accentuated by the shape of the bowl.  The base of the bowl is matte.  The last photos are of the bowl being traditionally fired. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  I’m pleased that I have been working with Chris since 2010 when I wrote the first article on him for Native People’s magazine.  It is exciting to see how his work has progressed over the years and the awards for his pottery, including the 2104 “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market.  He was featured in the book, Spoken Through Clay, and continues to be one of the leading young potters working today.

This is one of Tammy Garcia’s new bronzes. The piece is in the shape of one of her water jars but in miniature form.  It has carved feathers and an avanyu (water serpent) as the design.  The jar is made in an edition of 50.  The patina she selected for this piece has a silver and black coloration.  It is signed on the bottom, “TG” for Tammy Garcia and the number is 11/50.  Tammy has been innovative with her exploration of various medium using her amazing artistic style.

This is one of Tammy Garcia’s new bronzes. The piece is in the shape of one of her water jars but in miniature form.  It has carved feathers and an avanyu (water serpent) as the design.  The jar is made in an edition of 50.  The patina she selected for this piece has a bronze and copper coloration.  It is signed on the bottom, “TG” for Tammy Garcia and the number is 10/50.  Tammy has been innovative with her exploration of various medium using her amazing artistic style.

This bronze by Tammy Garcia captures the multi-dimensionality of her clay work. The bronze is in the shape of one of her classic jars.  It has carved feathers around the neck and bears around the body of the piece.  The jar is an edition of 35.  The patina she selected for this is a green copper coloration, which gives it a striking appearance.  It is signed on the bottom, “Tammy Garcia”.  Tammy has been innovative with her exploration of various medium using her amazing artistic style.  This piece is number 8/35.

Greg Lonewolf is the son of Joseph Lonewolf and is known for his intricately incised miniatures.  This seedpot is one of his larger pieces and it is fully designed and fired black.  The design consists of three realistic hummingbirds encircling the seedpot. At the top is a flower and a geometric star pattern.  All the various colors are additional clay slips. which are added after the black firing. The seedpot is entitled, “Hummingbirds”.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a very deeply carved wide bowl by Jason Ebelacker.  Jason is a son of noted potter Richard Ebelacker and grandson of Virginia Ebelacker.  This bowl is coil built and very flat across the top.  The bowl is carved with two bear paw medallions.  Separating them are cloud and lightning designs.  The bear paw design is classic in Santa Clara pottery as it represents a story of a bear leading the Pueblo people to water during a drought.  The bowl is very deeply carved!  Note as well the matte area which creates a strong visual contrast to the highly polished surface.  The base of the bowl is also stone polished.  It is fired a deep black coloration.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay.

LuAnn Tafoya is known for her highly polished traditional Santa Clara pottery.  This is a stunning large black storage jar.  A storage jar is a particular shape in Santa Clara Pueblo pottery which usually has a round shape and a short neck.  This piece is a classic shape with a very round form and just a slight indention before the neck.  There are four bear paws on the piece.  They are impressed into the clay and then the entire piece is fully polished.  Did  you know that the whole piece has to be polished at one time?  Otherwise, the clay slip will dry and it won’t be as shiny in appearance.  LuAnn said of her water jars:

“Sometimes the shape depends on how the clay is drying. Sometimes you have to bring it in right away. It is OK you can make it wider and then come in. I think for the first storage jar I used the puki given to my mom from my grandmother. It was narrow at the bottom. They made the base so the puki was just thin. We had to wire it to keep it attached. Later I made a new one with that form so I could have it for the future. It’s a nice shape going up from the bottom.”  LuAnn Tafoya, Spoken Through Clay

The storage jar is highly polished and fired a striking glassy black coloration.  LuAnn is one of the few potters making piece of such quality and historic continuity.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “LuAnn Tafoya”.   It is an exceptional example of her skill, creativity, and commitment to traditional Santa Clara pottery.

Russell Sanchez continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery.  Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched.  This bear is one of his classic shapes.  This bear is polished with a deep red clay slip.  The front has a sun pattern with a black mica clay line design in the center. The sun pattern is one that is inspired by the early pottery of Tonita Roybal.  The black of the bear has a black matte section along with a traditional San Ildefonso rain design.  The bear has a heartline which is etched into the clay.  The heartline which extends out from the mouth of the bear. The bear is a symbol of strength and the heartline is a traditional image used to symbolize the heart as the center of power in the animal.  The eyes are turquoise.  The bear is hollow as the piece is coil built.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

Jason Garcia is known for his tiles, he also creates a few boxes and jars each year.  This box is one that has four Corn Maidens painted, with one on each side.  They are painted in the old “two-dimensional” style of Santa Clara art and each of the Corn Maidens represents a different direction (North, South, East, West) based on the color (Blue, Red, White, Yellow).  In one hand she is holding corn and the other a basket of cornmeal.  On the ground are stylized corn plants and there is a corn design on each of the dresses.  The detail in this box is fantastic, with even small detailed created with the clay. The box is made of native clay and he uses native clay slips for the colors.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay “Okuu Pin” which is Jason’s name in Tewa (which means Turtle Mountain).  The piece is certainly inspired by the work of San Ildefonso painter Gilbert Atencio and his Blue Corn Maiden (see last photo).

Dennis Daubs is known for his intricately incised pottery.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished and the imagery is etched into the surface of the clay.  This jar has a water serpent in one section of the design.  The remainder of the jar has etched feathers, rain and cloud patterns.  The designs are very intricately etched and note the precision of the lines. The piece is signed, “Dennis Daubs”.