WOW!  This may well be one of the most dynamic and fully painted pieces we have had from Frederica Antonio.  The shape is a large water jar with a high shoulder and short neck.  In terms of painting, note that this shape has a very “full volume” as it is nearly as wide as it is tall! Each piece is coil built and then finely painted.  As well, three of the four sections of the jar has a process that she rarely likes to do as it is so time-consuming. Each square on the jar is painted with bee-weed, then filled in with a clay slip and THEN it is painted over again so that the lines are differentiated between each color.  It is much more time consuming but it is also much more visually dynamic. There are two sections of autumn leaves and two sections of “autumn winds”.  The design in the first photo is among her most complicated and the multiple layers of painting have a unique texture to the surface.  The jar also has FIVE different colors of clay, which adds to the flow of the design across the surface.  The base of the jar is concave, reminiscent of historic Acoma jars that were carried on the head.  This combination of thin walls, creative shapes, and tightly painted design creates a piece that is unique and quite stunning!  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Frederica Antonio”.