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, “Through Her Hair“.  Marla says of this painting:

“With this painting image, I wanted to think of a person as one of the earth, of the clay and inspired by all the living things of nature.  It just happened to be a female I chose that could give the essence of an earthly creature with all of life flowing from her hair.  This image is representational of a potter, Mother Nature, and the sun all at once or separately depending on the time of day. The light shining or reflecting off will tell you what to focus on in correlation to the sun and metallic reflections.”

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.

Elizabeth Medina is known for a traditional style of Zia pottery.  Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays and native fired.  This jar is painted around the neck with four different styles of birds.  Separating each of them is a flower design.  Below these birds is a cloud and rain motif.  Around the shoulder of the jar, there are four additional birds, and each is different in style.  Note that the red and tan areas are stone polished while the black and cream are matte.  The lid has a bear design with a bird on top, making a total of nine birds on this jar!  The jar is signed on the side “Elizabeth Medina, Zia”.

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 jar by Eric Lewis has a graphically painted parrot as the design.  The remainder of the jar has stylised swirling clouds.  The shape works perfectly for the bold design and the area opposite the parrot flows perfectly on the piece.  The jar is round with a slight neck.  Eric uses his designs to follow the shape of the jar and accentuate its form.  Eric has taken classic Acoma linear designs and made them both bolder and more graphic. The result is a striking jar with tightly painted imagery.  Eric remains one of the young Pueblo potters to watch!

This water jar by Debbie Clashin is painted with a stylized bird design.  She is a cousin of noted potter Mark Tahbo and a descendant of Grace Chapella.  Debbie has quickly become well known for her large-sized traditional Hopi-Tewa pottery. The jar has a sloping shoulder and a slightly turned out rim from the neck.  The jar is painted with two large stylized birds on each half of the jar.  The heads of the birds gracefully turn in while the tail feathers extends backward.  The jar is painted with bee-weed and natural clay slips.  It was traditionally fired with blushes across the surface of the jar.   It is signed on the bottom with her name and a pipe for his “Tobacco Clan”.

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.

This is a striking jar by Jennifer Tafoya.  She is known for her clay vessels and also her amazing animal figures!  This jar is an elegant shape with a wide shoulder and a short neck. The entire piece is very highly polished.  The top is very intricately designed.  There are cherry blossoms and note the intricacy of the flowers, the buds, and the branches!  There are four bees as part of the design.  They are very intricately designed and note that two of them even have pollen on their back legs!  All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Jennifer continues to be one of the leading innovative potters working today!

This is a figurative clay dinosaur by Jennifer Moquino.  Jennifer has created a unique group of dinosaur figures.  This figure is a Ceratosaurus and the back is fully polished and designed with geometric patterns.  Note the detail on the head and the horn on the top of the note!  As the tail extends out backward, Jennifer created an amazing balance on this figure!  The colors are all derived from natural clay slips.  The piece is signed on the bottom.

Jennifer says of her dinosaur figures

“I have always been a huge fan of dinosaurs.  I didn’t have a bunch of dolls, I had dinosaurs.  If my mother would give me a Barbie doll, I’d give it to my sister.  I think working with animals that lived millions of years ago is fascinating and it’s fun learning how they lived. “

Jennifer Tafoya is known for her clay vessels and also her amazing animal figures!  This jar is an elegant shape for her pottery.  It has a wide shoulder and a short neck.  The piece is highly polished and the top is fully designed. There are three parrots as the design.  Two of which are in flight and the third is a view of the bird’s head.  They are very intricately etched into the clay and note the detail in the feathers!  The background area has a mica clay slip which creates an additional contrast.  Surrounding the birds are additional cloud and lightning designs.  All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Jennifer continues to be one of the leading innovative potters working today!

This is a figurative clay dinosaur by Jennifer Moquino.  Jennifer has created a unique group of dinosaur figures.  This figure is a Spinosaurus and the back is fully polished and designed.  The back spine is painted and slipped with a mica clay.  The sides are fully designed with geometric patterns.  Note the detail on the head!  As the tail extends out backward, Jennifer created an amazing balance on this figure!  The colors are all derived from natural clay slips.  The piece is signed on the bottom.

Jennifer says of her dinosaur figures

“I have always been a huge fan of dinosaurs.  I didn’t have a bunch of dolls, I had dinosaurs.  If my mother would give me a Barbie doll, I’d give it to my sister.  I think working with animals that lived millions of years ago is fascinating and it’s fun learning how they lived. “

This is a figurative clay dinosaur by Jennifer Moquino.  Jennifer has created a unique group of dinosaur figures.  This figure is a Parasaur and the back is fully polished and designed.  The figure is fired brown and there is a lot of design work on the body.  There is a great sense of motion with the turned head.  The colors are all derived from natural clay slips.  The piece is signed on the bottom.

Jennifer says of her dinosaur figures

“I have always been a huge fan of dinosaurs.  I didn’t have a bunch of dolls, I had dinosaurs.  If my mother would give me a Barbie doll, I’d give it to my sister.  I think working with animals that lived millions of years ago is fascinating and it’s fun learning how they lived. “

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.

This is a figurative clay dinosaur by Jennifer Moquino.  Jennifer has created a unique group of dinosaur figures.  This figure is a Velociraptor and the back is fully polished and designed.  There are lightning and cloud designs.  Check out the head and the teeth as well as the large claw on the feet!  The colors are all derived from natural clay slips.  The piece is signed on the bottom.

Jennifer says of her dinosaur figures

“I have always been a huge fan of dinosaurs.  I didn’t have a bunch of dolls, I had dinosaurs.  If my mother would give me a Barbie doll, I’d give it to my sister.  I think working with animals that lived millions of years ago is fascinating and it’s fun learning how they lived. “

This is a figurative clay dinosaur by Jennifer Moquino.  Jennifer has created a unique group of dinosaur figures.  This figure is an Ankylosaurus and the back is fully polished and designed.  There are cloud swirls and mountain designs on the back.  The spines on the side are slipped with mica and there is a green clay painted on the side in triangular stripes.   The colors are all derived from natural clay slips.  The piece is signed on the bottom.

Jennifer says of her dinosaur figures

“I have always been a huge fan of dinosaurs.  I didn’t have a bunch of dolls, I had dinosaurs.  If my mother would give me a Barbie doll, I’d give it to my sister.  I think working with animals that lived millions of years ago is fascinating and it’s fun learning how they lived. “

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.

Tammy Garcia is known for her amazing pottery, as well as the creativity of her bronzes. This bronze is stylized like her intricately carved pottery. The piece is entitled, “Fish & Game”. One side has a fish, while the other side has birds.  She has captured a beautiful balance between the realism of the animals and the traditional designs and surrounding Pueblo imagery. The unique oval shape also works perfectly for this piece!  It is signed and numbered.

Tammy Garcia is known for her amazing pottery, as well as the creativity of her bronzes. This bronze is taken from a series of clay pieces which she made which were inspired by the paintings of Picasso.  The imagery is a Picasso-esqe woman sitting in a chair.  The piece has multiple layers and textures.  When asked about the name and the imagery, Tammy said:

“I thought about a definition of the word, “seed” which I had read.  It was, ‘A seed is the small, hard part of a plant from which a new plant grows’.  It made me think of women who came to the Southwest when the trains arrived in the 1880’s, or with the Fred Harvey Tours in the 1920’s.  They brought with them their past but became enamored with the Southwest or Native Culture. So on the bronze, the woman is sitting on a chair and the back of the chair is incised with Pueblo designs.  The chair itself is has a turquoise colored patina to represent the areas. The woman on one side has a hei-shi necklace and the other a turquoise colored necklace.  These are representative of how those who journeyed and continue to visit here have the culture become an integral part of their lives.  They have become seeds who spread their affection for the Southwest and Native art around the world.  I called this, “Seeded Woman II”.  It is the second in this series to pay tribute to those how become aware of Native culture, respect it and spread their love of the art and artists to the world.”.

The piece has striking patinas to differentiate the various textures and depths of carving.  Much like her clay work, the piece is distinctive in style and yet very sharply defined.  This piece is 3/35 and it is signed and numbered on the bottom by Tammy Garcia. Simply a striking piece by one of today’s great potters with a lot of thought behind it!

This is a complex water jar by Russell Sanchez.  The shape of the jar has a form with a rounded shoulder and a turned out rim.  The neck of the jar is fully carved with a “waterfall” rim, which consists of 32 segments.  Each is round out on both the inside and outside!  They are slipped with a micaceous clay.  The shoulder of the jar is fully polished and has three different birds.  Each bird is very delicately etched into the clay with a lot of detail.  The shoulder has diamond-shaped patterns again slipped with mica.  The lower band of design is inspired by the work of Florentino Montoya, from the early 1900’s.  They are flower and seed designs and each is different.  Much like these, Florentino would create one area which was different in a series as a “signature”.  Take a closer look at the seed designs in the plants and see that there is one which is different.  Separating all the sections are inset hematite hei-shi beads.  The 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.  Russell also notes that when he is able to fire his pieces to a gunmetal appearance, the hematite captures the shine and also gives them a contemporary appearance.  As Russell has said:

“I’m a traditionalist all the way through.  Innovation is part of our tradition. You use the same materials and tools that you have, and the same design elements, and the Clay Mother will come through you for what she wants you to do,” he explains. “Instead of doing the same cloud pattern or serpent pattern, you take that and make it your own. So, in fact, everything I’m doing is old, but new.”  Russell Sanchez, Southwest Art Magazine

The jar is highly fired with a near gunmetal appearance to the surface.  The contrasts of polished, mica and polished mica give the jar a dynamic appearance.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, ‘Russell”.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

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.

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.

This is wide jar by Debbie Clashin is painted with a stylized bird design.  She is a cousin of noted potter Mark Tahbo and a descendant of Grace Chapella.  Debbie has quickly become well known for her large-sized traditional Hopi-Tewa pottery. The jar has a sloping shoulder and there are two sections with swirling birds.  Surrounding the birds are dragonflies and rain patterns.  The jar is painted with bee-weed and natural clay slips.  It was traditionally fired with blushes across the surface of the jar.   It is signed on the bottom with her name and a pipe for his “Tobacco Clan”.

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

Charmae Natseway is known for her exceptional painted pottery and use of distinctive forms. This large seedpot is painted on the top with an intricate design.  There is a katsina figure in the center and it is surrounded with additional Acoma designs.  All the fine-line patterns are delicately painted on this piece.  All the various colors are from natural clay slips.  The piece is signed on the bottom, “Charmae Natseway”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is a striking balance of traditional and historic imagery on a very modern form.

Charmae Natseway is known for her exceptional painted pottery and use of distinctive forms. This wonderful seedpot has flat sides and an unusual pyramid form.  The sides are each painted with different plant designs near the base.  Above the plants is a band of leaf patterns and then two larger stylized birds.  Note the very delicate lines painted for the plants and birds!  All the various colors are from natural clay slips.  The piece is signed on the bottom, “Charmae Natseway”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is a striking balance of traditional and historic imagery on a very modern form.

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”.

This is a charming 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 jar has a kive step design on one side, giving it a taller appearance.  On the top there are also step designs representing the four directions.  On the jar itself, it is fully designed with a Koshari Clown who is fishing.  He is sitting by the water with a fishing pole and melons and a soda.  The fishing pole has the line into the water and as the jar is turned you can see the fish below the water surface and follow the line.  It is wrapped around his foot!  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”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks restoration or repair.   This is certainly a classic piece of Lois’s pottery which combines a cultural legacy in design with one in clay.

ois Gutierrez 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 water jar has a wonderful shape with very round body and elongated neck.  The design around the neck is a feather pattern.  Note the use of the three different colors of clay for the tip of the feather in contrast to the white feathers.  The body of the jar has two intertwined water serpents. Note the use of classic rain and seed patterns in the bodies of each avanyu.  Above them is a rain cloud design. What makes them the “old style” avanyu?  Check out the shape of the horn and the shape of the tongue.  They each have the three prong style, and this is similar to the very early historic style of avany painted on the pottery!   The base of the jar is indented, which is reminiscent of the historic Santa Clara water jars which were carried on the head.  This jar has over five different natural clay colors utilized.  This is certainly a classic piece of Lois’s pottery which combines a cultural legacy in design with one in clay.

Debra Duwyenie is well known for her wonderful miniatures and incised designs. Each piece is stone polished and then it is etched before it is fired! This seedpot has eight turtles as the design.  Each of the turtles has a different design on the back.  Note the one with the wavy lines, that one is meant to represent Preston Duwyenie, her husband, who is known for his “shifting sand” pottery.  There are additional dragonflies and a water serpent at the base of the design.  Note that the lighter red matte areas are where Debra has only etched away the polished surface but not down as far as the tan color of the clay. Debra also pays close attention to the little details like the tan background area and how evenly she etches the vertical lines. The seedpot is traditionally fired.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay with Preston’s hallmark and “Debra”.

This is a very traditionally inspired jar by Ida Sahmie.  It is “The Four Sacred Plants”, which is a design often seen in sandpaintings.  Here, Ida has painted it on a stone polished jar using natural clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black.  The four sacred plants are corn, beans, squash, and tobacco.  There are both painted and matte areas along with incised designs.   The tile was traditionally fired and it is signed on the back, “Ida Sahmie”.  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.   The story of the Four Sacred Plants and the Dine people is as follows:

“Four Sacred Plants are assigned to the cardinal points, and amongst the Navajos Maize is the plant of the North, Beans of the east. This means that both are male and as both are grown for edible seeds, recognition of the physiological function of the male was probably involved in the selection. This is entirely possible since the convention could have been established only very late, after settlement in America. Squash, for the Navajos, is the plant of the South, which is fitting since its fruit is called “eight-sided” and the eight-sided earth (an alternative to the square earth, taking account of the diagonal directions) is female. Also the stalk is angled in sections, a feature deliberately exaggerated when the plant is depicted in sand paintings, and crooked things are female. Tobacco, which the Navajos put on the west, is female because it is used to make smoke which is blown out with the breath, and that is female. Below the Plants are white roots, the significance being that these plants still have their roots in the lower world.”

Dolores Curran creates intricately incised and painted pottery.  She was inspired to create these red polychrome incised and painted by her husband, Alvin Curran.  He was known for his incised San Juan style pottery in the 1990’s.  This piece is one of her lidded boxes. The box is oval and the sides are fully painted with geometric designs.  There are feather, cloud and sun designs.  Did you know that when she paints the designs, she goes over each area at least four times so that the white clay will be dark enough to show against the polished red surface!  The lid has a water serpent incised into the clay in a San Juan style.  The area is matte and there are red, white and brown clay slips.  It is surrounded by a painted cloud design.  Note on the lid there are red dots on one side and white dots on the other, to let you know which way to place the lid!  The piece is wonderfully intricate in painting and complex in form.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dolores Curran”.

This jar by Alice Cling is a very classic Navajo shape with the high shoulder and the elongated neck.  The jar has a raised “braid” encircling the piece near the neck.   What is interesting about the raised design is not simply that it is an incised linear rain design.  The pattern around the jar has a great texture and there is one small “gap” in the design, which is the “spirit line”.  The jar is traditionally fired and it was fired very hot as it is a brownish coloration.  The fire clouds still circle around on the surface of the jar.  It was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pine pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Alice Cling”.  Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”  She remains one of the great names in the revival of Navajo pottery in the 1980’s

This is a very traditionally inspired jar by Dextra Quotskuyva.  She is certainly one of the great innovators among Hopi-Tewa potters.  Her work began with more classic imagery and then has evolved over the years to more unique and stylized designs. This piece is from the mid-1980’s.  It is inspired by the work of Nampeyo of Hano and the early style of painted red on the pottery.  In the early 1930’s Mary Colton at the Museum of Northern Arizona introduced a new clay slip to Hopi.  Previously the red had a more ‘painterly” appearance (see last photo of a jar by Nampeyo of Hano), which allowed the clay to show through. The new red is the one we see used today which more completely covers the painted area.  This jar looks back at the earlier style of Nampeyo and the red which has a more “painterly” appearance.  This jar is painted with red around the neck and the remainder has a classic eagle tail design.  However, note the very thin lines for the checkerboard pattern on the bird tail. The style of the painting is certainly Dextra’s but there is a wonderful homage to the work of her great-grandmother as well!   The bowl is traditionally fired so that there are blushes and color variations around the surface.  It is signed on the bottom with bee-weed, “Dextra” with an ear of corn representing the Corn Clan.   The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. The piece comes to us from the collection of Georgia Loloma, the wife not noted Hopi jeweler Charles Loloma and it is a piece the acquired directly from Dextra.  Dextra has been the subject of a retrospective of her pottery at the Museum of Indian Art and Culture called, “Painted Perfection“.

Paulita Pacheco (b. 1943) is a sister of noted potter Robert Tenorio.  She is married to Gilbert Pacheco and her daughter, Rose Pacheco continues to make traditional style Kewa pottery.  Paulita learned to make pottery from her mother Juanita C. Tenorio and grandmother Andrea Ortiz. This jar is coil built, painted with bee-weed (black) and red clay slips and traditionally fired.  The jar has a classic style Kewa bird as the design along with flowers which encircle the jar.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Paulita Pacheco”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Charmae Natseway is known for her exceptionally painted pottery and use of distinctive forms. This piece is from 1981 and it is one of her classic canteen shapes.  On the front are a Mimbres style bird and two lizards.  They are very detailed in design.  The mouth of the canteen and the handles are slipped with a red clay.  On the back is a red flower with black petals.  It is signed on the bottom, “Charmae  Shields Natseway”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

While Nancy Youngblood is known for her swirl melon bowls and carved pottery, she started out her career making miniatures.  This miniature is from 1975 which makes it a very early piece of her pottery!  It is a miniature kiva bowl and it is fully polished on the inside and the outside.  The edges of the kiva steps are matte in contrast to the highly polished surface.  Note as well the little holes in the sides of the kiva steps.  On larger pieces the holes would be placed in the kiva bowls so that eagle feathers could be attached.  It is amazing that she was able to replicate this concept in miniature!  The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Yellow Aspen ’75”.

This is an intricately painted miniature seedpot by Dolores Curran.  Before she began making her carved pieces, she was well known for her delicately painted buff-on-red pottery.  The bowl is highly polished red and painted with a buff clay for the design.  Amazingly, she would paint each piece up to five times to get the color of the matte painted areas deep and consistent enough!  This piece has a feather pattern which encircles the piece.  Below are cloud and rain designs.  Around the top is a water serpent.  Note the precision of the lines!  So why doesn’t Dolores make this style anymore? She ran out of the cream-colored clay slip for the painting, and so only uses it as an accent on her new work!  As well, this is a larger sized piece of her painted pottery, as she mostly made miniatures due to the time-consuming nature of the painting. The bowl is signed on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Veronica Naranjo is a daughter of Barbarita Naranjo and a granddaughter of Pasqualita Tafoya. This is one of her few plates but carved in her very deep style.  The design is an avanyu which encircles the plate.  It is stone polished and traditionally fired.  The carving is deep for the size of the piece.  It is signed on the back in the clay, “Veronica”

This is an exceptional original clay piece by Roxanne Swentzell.  It is entitled “Indian On the Edge”.  The figure is one of the few males she has made during her career.  There is a look of uncertainty in the eyes of the eyes of the figure as he is looking over the edge. The piece sits almost flat but when placed on the edge it balances out.  Roxanne had said of this piece, that, its quizzical look and inability to sit evenly on a flat surface is about the feeling of being stranded between two cultures and unable to be comfortable in either one.  It is definitely a powerful piece of her work and a great statement on the lives of many native artists. The hair is sculpted with clay hair ties which extend to the back and the side.  The parrot feathers are tied in bundles and added to the piece. The sculptural quality of the hands and feet is striking on this figure.  This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is from early 2000 and signed in the clay, “ROX”.

This is an amazingly intricate miniature by Ida Sahmie.  It is the Day Chant Dance with eight male Yei-bi-chi dancers encircling the jar.  The background area is fully polished the natural color of the clay.  In the background, there are the mesas, clouds, and even birds!  Note how she has also painted the shadows of each dancer extending to the base of the bowl.  Ida also incises into the clay for the faces and the bodies, leather and masks.  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”.

This is a charming duck clay figure from Jamie Peynetsa.  He is the son of noted potters Anderson and Avelia Peynetsa.  Avelia, his mother, coil builds the clay vessel.  Jamie paints the design.  He has strong attention to the detail of the painting as well as his inspiration from classic Zuni pottery.  This duck is slipped with white clay and then painted with designs.  The wings are and eyes are intricately painted and the dots on the front of the head are raised. The duck has a turned head and a two feathers extending up from its head.   It is signed by Jamie and his mother on the bottom.

This is a classic original clay piece by Roxanne Swentzell.  It is entitled “The Seduction”.  The figure is made from clay and she is in a reclining position.  Her one hand is holding up her head while the other is extending outward with the finger extended.   She is beckoning the viewer forward.  There is a gentleness to the figure and the face.  The continuous coloration of the figure accentuates the form.  Note the detail in the hands and the feet as well.  This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is from early 2000s and signed in the clay, “ROX”.

This water jar by Jason Ebelacker is a striking vessel, which finds its reference in a very historical form. The jar has a very wide shoulder which then curves downward before extending up to the neck.  There is just a slight turn out of the rim. The jar is highly polished and fired a deep black.  The various curves on the jar create beautiful angles for the reflection of light.. Jason is a son of noted potter Richard Ebelacker and grandson of Virginia Ebelacker.

This is an unusual tile by Ida Sahmie.  The tile is fully polished and painted with natural clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black.    The front side has the Yei-bi-Chi figure, often also called the “Talking God”, who is the first in a series of eight during the Night Chant.  The opposite side has the last figure.  The figures are etched into the clay and then slipped with clay to create the colorations.  Ida 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 side in the clay, “Ida Sahmie”.

This is an intricately carved canteen by Autumn Borts-Medlock.  She is known for her often fanciful carved pottery and use of unique shapes.  The canteen is built with two handles.  It is fully carved with a series of circles which flow around the piece.  They are either polished or slipped with mica.  There is also a micaceous lid which fits onto the top of the piece as well.  The piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Autumn Borts”.

This jar by Jody Naranjo is from 2005.  It is highly polished and fully designed.  The neck and base of the jar are fully polished and etched with her signature “kiva step” design.  The center band is matte and the design is a series of bighorn sheep.  They are each etched into the clay and they have large round horns, which add to the overall visual strength of the piece.  The variations in color are from the firing.  Note as well the etched linear designs in the background of the piece.  The jar is signed, “Jody Naranjo” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Jody said of her designing:

“As for the design on the top and the bottom, it was the kiva step in the beginning. My family used them but just parts of them, the top half of the design. I started making them just around the top of the pot in one row. Then it became two rows and three rows, and then I started filling in between them.  Now it looks more like a textile, and it’s a signature pattern that I do on everything.” Jody Naranjo, Spoken Through Clay

This is an early carved bowl by Nancy Youngblood.  The bowl is from 1977 when Nancy was just 22 years old!  The shape is a classic bowl and the feathers are carved into the clay.  Note the depth of the carving!  Each feather is symmetric and precise.  The entire piece is very highly polished and fired a deep black.  It is easy to see looking at this bowl the level of talent evident in her early work and how that same precision in carving and polishing is still part of her work today.  In the area below the shoulder, there is also a carved bear paw.  It is a charming addition to the overall design.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Yellow Aspen Youngblood, Dec. 1977”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It comes to us from the collection of Georgia Loloma, the wife of noted jeweler Charles Loloma.

Alton Komalestewa learned to make pottery from his mother-in-law, Helen Shupla.  She was famous for her traditional melon bowls and over the years Alton has taken and refined this form.  This large melon jar is an earlier piece of his pottery from the 1980’s and it is made with Santa Clara clay.  The jar has 21 melon ribs which each pushed out from the inside so that there is an undulation of the ribs.  Typical of Alton’s work, there is also a symmetry to each rib!  Of course, it is technically difficult to stretch the clay and create even ribs. The jar is highly polished and fired a brown coloration. Again, much like Helen, Alton has continually experimented with various colors of clay throughout his career to create distinctive vessels.  The jar has been traditionally fired and it is signed on the bottom by Alton and he also uses a katsina face as part of the hallmark of his name.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This jar by Jody Naranjo is from 2005.  It is highly polished and of her few pieces which is fired a deep black!  The jar is designed after the firing.  The top and base of the jar are fully etched with her signature “kiva step” design.  The center band is also fully polished.  Here she has her iconic “Crazy Horse” girl on a horse.  There is additional etching for the handprint on the rear of the horse and the girl’s hair.  The jar itself has square sides which, being flat, add a striking appearance to both the jar and the burnished surfaces.  The jar is signed, “Jody Naranjo” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Jody said of her designing:

“As for the design on the top and the bottom, it was the kiva step in the beginning. My family used them but just parts of them, the top half of the design. I started making them just around the top of the pot in one row. Then it became two rows and three rows, and then I started filling in between them.  Now it looks more like a textile, and it’s a signature pattern that I do on everything.” Jody Naranjo, Spoken Through Clay

This is wedding vase by Russell Sanchez incorporates three different colors of clay.  The top half is a lighter red clay, while the center band has a black clay slip.  The bottom of the vase is a deep red.  The wedding vase is etched with a sun designs extending down towards the base.  Note that one side has a checkerboard pattern etched into the clay while the opposite has dots.  Russell has been taking inspiration from the work of early San Ildefonso potters Tonita Roybal and Florentino Montoya for his designs.  They are not copied but his own interpretation and revival of these creative designs.  The shape of the wedding vase is elegant with a strong proportion between the shoulder and the spouts.  Wedding vases are considered difficult to polish as the handles and spouts create unusual angles and directions in which the piece must be turned.  It was traditionally fired and after the firing Russell inset two bands of jet hei-shi beads.  The vase is signed on the bottom in the clay.   Once again Russell deftly revives historic San Idlefonso designs and stories and uses them for his own contemporary work.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

Paula Estevan is known for thin-walled and tightly painted pottery.  This jar has a wide shape which accentuates the “op-art” basket pattern. The weave lines are in black and white and spiral around the surface of the jar.  The imagery goes from small at the rim to larger at the shoulder and then small again at the base.  Paula has a wonderful ability to match the shape and designs of her work perfectly!  The jar is signed on the bottom, “P. Estevan”.

This jar by Steve Lucas is from 1993.  It is very intricately painted with a sun and lightning pattern. The designs encircle the shoulder of the jar.  Note the very finely painted lines!  There are polished red areas while the black is painted with bee-weed.  The inside of the neck is also stone polished.  The jar was traditionally fired and has slight color variations from the firing.  It is signed on the bottom with his name and an ear of corn (Corn Clan) and a Mudhead Katsina (Koyemsi).  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  

Paula Estevan is known for her jar is thin-walled coil-built pottery.  This jar is very tightly painted with an “op-art” star pattern.  Each of the stars is inter-connected in a lattice-like style.  They spiral out around the jar from the neck to the base.  It is a visually stunning design!   Note how the imagery goes from small at the rim to larger at the shoulder and then small again at the base. The jar has a wide shoulder and just a slight neck.  Paula has a wonderful ability to match the shape and designs of her work perfectly!  The jar is signed on the bottom, “P. Estevan”.

Jamie Peynetsa is the son of noted potters Anderson and Avelia Peynetsa.  Avelia, his mother, coil builds the clay vessel.  Jamie paints the design.  He has strong attention to the detail of the painting as well as his inspiration from classic Zuni pottery.  This is one of the smaller duck figures we have had from him.  The body is slipped with a red clay while the head is white.  The designs are then painted in black.  The head of the duck has a fluted “feather” top.  The body is painted with wing designs and the dots on the front are raised.  It is signed by Jamie and his mother on the bottom.

Sandra Victorino is a niece of noted potter Dorothy Torivio.    Sandra has her own unique style of “op-art”, where the patterns start small, then get larger and then smaller again on the vessel.  These pieces reflect the variety and intricacy of her pottery designs. This jar has the white clay painted with the black bee-weed (a plant).  The jar has a checkerboard snow pattern and a fine-line rain pattern.  They are alternating around the jar as they swirl down from the rim to the base.  The intricacy of the designs and the use of the op-art imagery adds to the sophistication of the jar!   The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Sandra Victorino is a niece of noted potter Dorothy Torivio.    Sandra has her own unique style of “op-art”, where the patterns start small, then get larger and then smaller again on the vessel.  These pieces reflect the variety and intricacy of her pottery designs. This jar has the white clay painted with the black bee-weed (a plant).  The jar has a checkerboard snow pattern swirling down from the rim on one half of the jar.  The other half is a fine-line rain pattern.  Separating the two halves is an eternity pattern.  The intricacy of the designs and the use of the op-art imagery adds to the sophistication of the jar!   The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Sandra creates a beautiful sense of balance between the form and design.

Robert Patricio is known for his classic forms and use of both traditional and pre-historic imagery.  This jar is coil built and thin walled. It has a classic water jar shape with the high shoulder and the sloping neck.  The jar is painted with a classic stylized lightning design.  Here the designs appear to swirl around the jar and are contrasted in black, white and with fine-lines.  The jar has both an ancient and very modern appearance.  Robert is certainly one of the leading traditional Acoma potters working today which is evidenced by his stunning forms and complementary designs.

This is an exceptional revival of a historic shape by Russell Sanchez.  The shape of the jar is a “double lobe”.  It is technically difficult to make as the coiling has to round in and out to create each of the “bowls” which seem to be sitting on each other.  Historically, these are inspired by cooking vessels which were set on top of each other.  The bottom section of this jar has angular carved eagle feathers swirling around the piece. They are polished black and the area at the very base is polished a light red.  Above the feathers is a checkerboard band representing corn alternating polished deep red and matte.  The center band, which Russell said was very difficult to polish, is light red coloration. The top “lobe” or bowl of the jar is polished a very deep red.  There are three designs which he has etched to encircle the jar. They range from a koshari to Early San Ildefonso inspired sun and rain designs.  Above and below the center band are checkerboard snow patterns in both black and light red.  Finally, the neck is polished black and the rim is a deep red. The inside of the rim has been carved with melon style ribs creating Russell’s distinctive “waterfall rim”.  There are so many technical aspects to the creation of this jar, from numerous clays to the form itself.  However, the final result is visually striking and very unusual.  The jar is signed on the base in the clay.  Once again Russell harkens to historic San Idlefonso designs and stories and uses them for his own contemporary work.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

This is a very traditionally inspired tile by Ida Sahmie.  It is “Father Sky”, which is a design often seen in sandpaintings.  Here, Ida has painted it on a stone polished tile using natural clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black.  Father Sky is in the center with the cosmos painted on the body.  Surrounding the figure is a rainbow design.  Note how areas are etched into the clay, as well as painted!  The tile was traditionally fired and it is signed on the back, “Ida Sahmie”.  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.   The story of Father Sky and Mother Earth, and the Dine people is as follows:

“The Navajo people, the Diné, passed through three different worlds before emerging into this world, The Fourth World, or Glittering World. The Diné believe there are two classes of beings: the Earth People and the Holy People. The Holy People are believed to have the power to aid or harm the Earth People. Since Earth People of the Diné are an integral part of the universe, they must do everything they can to maintain harmony or balance on Mother Earth.  It is believed that centuries ago the Holy People taught the Diné how to live the right way and to conduct their many acts of everyday life. They were taught to live in harmony with Mother Earth, Father Sky and the many other elements such as man, animals, plants, and insects.”

This is a very traditionally inspired tile by Ida Sahmie.  It is “The Four Sacred Plants”, which is a design often seen in sandpaintings.  Here, Ida has painted it on a stone polished tile using natural clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black.  The four sacred plants are corn, beans, squash, and tobacco.  There are both painted and matte areas along with incised designs.   The tile was traditionally fired and it is signed on the back, “Ida Sahmie”.  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.   The story of the Four Sacred Plants and the Dine people is as follows:

“Four Sacred Plants are assigned to the cardinal points, and amongst the Navajos Maize is the plant of the North, Beans of the east. This means that both are male and as both are grown for edible seeds, recognition of the physiological function of the male was probably involved in the selection. This is entirely possible since the convention could have been established only very late, after settlement in America. Squash, for the Navajos, is the plant of the South, which is fitting since its fruit is called “eight-sided” and the eight-sided earth (an alternative to the square earth, taking account of the diagonal directions) is female. Also the stalk is angled in sections, a feature deliberately exaggerated when the plant is depicted in sand paintings, and crooked things are female. Tobacco, which the Navajos put on the west, is female because it is used to make smoke which is blown out with the breath, and that is female. Below the Plants are white roots, the significance being that these plants still have their roots in the lower world.”

Susie Crank is a daughter of Rose Williams and a sister of Alice Cling.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished and amazingly, she says he may burnish a piece over and over as many as 15 times to get a high shine!  This water jar has a high shoulder and an elongated neck.  The jar is then traditionally fired to create the fire-clouds on the surface.  The colorations on this jar range from black to a deep red.  The jar was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof.  Today, the pine pitch seals the vessel and gives it the shine.  This jar has a stunning shine and a great feel to the surface!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Susie Crank”.

This is one of the smallest ducks we have had from Jamie Peynetsa.  He is the son of noted potters Anderson and Avelia Peynetsa.  Avelia, his mother, coil builds the clay vessel.  Jamie paints the design.  He has strong attention to the detail of the painting as well as his inspiration from classic Zuni pottery.  This duck is slipped with white clay and then painted with designs.  The wings are and eyes are intricately painted and the dots on the front of the head are raised.  It is signed by Jamie and his mother on the bottom.

This miniature jar by Geri Naranjo is a striking shape.  It has a round shoulder and a short neck.  Geri is known for her miniature pottery and intricately etched designs.  Here the entire piece is fully polished and around the shoulder is an avanyu and below are cloud, rain and lightning designs.  The designs are all etched into the clay with precision.  The remainder of the jar is very highly polished.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a distinctive shape jar by Russell Sanchez.  The jar is wide and with a very flat top. The jar is fully polished and the shoulder of the jar is designed with a checkerboard snow pattern using a mica clay slip.  The top is fully stone polished and designed with stylized bird patterns. The birds on this jar certainly have a similarity to those found on Sikyatki pottery, but they are also found on older San Ildefonso pottery as well!  The two birds are different and designed with additional patterns for their bodies.  The tails of the birds are inset with hematite stones while the center of the bodies have a high-grade Kingman turquoise. As old as the designs are, Russell has presented them in a manner that seems very modern!  The lid is highly carved and has “waterfall” ribbed shape with a single piece of turquoise on the top of the lid.  The base of the lid is polished with the ribs are slipped with mica.  The jar is fired a deep black and the mica squares are very metallic in appearance. There are four inset bands of hei-shi beads around the jar.  The bottom of the bowl has the classic indention of traditional San Ildefonso water jars.  Russell uses these historic elements to keep them alive on his contemporary pottery.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, ‘Russell”.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

This is a classic kiva bowl miniature jar by Linda Cain.  Linda is a daughter of Mary Cain and the mother of Tammy Garcia and Autumn Borts.  This miniature bowl is carved with the kiva steps on the rim of the piece.  It is a form often seen at Santa Clara Pueblo. The outside of the bowl is polished while the inside is matte.  It is fired a deep black and signed on the bottom in the clay, “Linda Cain”.

Paula Estevan has built a reputation for her highly detailed painted pottery.  This jar is more “trompe l’oile” than “op-art”.  The jar is thin-walled with a wide shoulder and short neck.  The jar has a lightning pattern which extends from the neck to the base.  It is surrounded by linear rain patterns.  The design, however, does fool the eye as the lighting pattern which extends from the neck to the base give the piece added dimension.  It is spectacular painting on this jar and a reflection of how Paula continues to be one of the leaders of Acoma pottery. It is signed on the bottom, “P. Estevan”.

This is a very wide jar by Samuel Manymules.  It is coil built and slipped with red clay and then traditionally fired.  The jar has a stone polished neck and the ribs extend from the shoulder swirling down to the base.  Each rib is pushed out by hand and they come to a sharp point.  There are 10 ribs which extend across the surface of the jar.  However, it is not the size or the ribs which make this jar so remarkable, but the coloration.  Did you know Samuel fires his pottery on its side?!?!  This helps create more dynamic colorations. This jar goes from a deep reddish-purple to dark black and brown.  Interestingly, the brown areas are the more intensely fired sections of his pottery.  After the piece is fired, the jar is covered with pine pitch in the traditional way expected of Navajo pottery.  The piece is signed on the bottom.   It is extraordinary vessels like this which keep Samuel among the top Navajo potters working today.

Hubert Candelario is one of the few potters working at San Felipe Pueblo.  He has been known for his micaceous pottery for over thirty years.  This piece has 44 holes cut into the clay before the piece is fired.  The holes all vary in size and add to both the complexity and intricacy of the piece.  It is always interesting with such an open lattice style or clay work that his pieces always feel so structurally sound.  The piece is slipped 3 to 4 times with a micaceous clay before it is fired. This gives the piece such a deep coloration.  It is signed on the bottom, “Hubert Candelario”. 

Russell Sanchez has found inspiration in the signed historic San Ildefonso pottery for both shapes and designs on his pottery.   This unique jar is inspired by a bowl by his great-great-grandmother, Ramona Sanchez Gonzales.  In the last photo, the red bowl by Ramona can be seen, with the avanyu in relief on the side.  As well, Tony Da made a jar with lizard handles in 1967-8, which is now in the Philbrook Museum (#7095).  The black and sienna of the jar and the etched medallions are certainly a reference for Russell’s latest piece.  This jar has sienna medallions on each side. They are etched with traditional San Ildefonso birds.  Each medallion is surrounded by two bands of hei-shi beads.  The handles are in the shape of the avanyu, much as on Ramona’s bowl.  The neck of the jar has a cloud pattern and the remainder of the piece is a micaceous clay slip.  The lid is fired to a near gunmetal appearance and has a sienna top and a single inset piece of turquoise.  The bottom of the jar has a “foot” which is reminiscent of historic San Ildefonso pottery and it is also indented. The hei-shi beads are all made by the Calabaza family from Santo Domingo Pueblo.  The jar seamlessly blends the old with the new and creates a new vision of how potters can derive inspiration from the past while creating their own new vessels.

Aaron Honyumptewa is both Hopi and Picuris. He is known for his very intricately carved katinsa dolls.  In the last year he moved back to Picuris Pueblo in New Mexico, the home of his mother and family and has begun to learn to make pottery from his mother.  The pottery is traditional style of Picuris pueblo and Aaron says he is hoping to help revive the art form!  This i a round tile which is made from Picuris micaceous clay.  On the front is a cloud pattern which is in raised relief.  It was traditionally fired to create the blushes on the surface.  If Aaron works with the clay with the same creativity in which he carved katsinas, he has a bright future!

This painting by Les Namingha is untitled. It is from a series he has painted using pastel on paper.  The piece is a modernist approach to color.  They are all colors used in his pottery and it is interesting to see how they play against one another in Les’s mind. That playfulness comes out in the lines and colors of the piece.  There are hints of figures and even a dragonfly, but they ask the question of whether they are intentional or simply our minds seeing more in the pastel colors! It is framed in a wood frame with a white matte.  It is signed in the lower right corner, “Les Namingha”.