WOW!  This is a stunning large canteen by Tammy Garcia who is known for her contemporary designs and use of traditional clay. This jar is in a canteen shape with a wide body and rounded end.  The piece is entitled, “Along the River’s Edge”.  Tammy said she created the canteen as a “water vessel” and the flowers were meant to look like they were floating on water along with the single large, flying dragonfly.  The jar is an amazing shape and one of the few she has made at this size, which can take up to a year to finish!  The jar is carved with 22 flowers and a single large dragonfly. Each flower has five carved petals which are stone polished, making a total of 110 carved and individually polished sections!  Note how the larger flower on the back is recessed into the clay and has stippling around the flower. There are additional geometric kiva step shapes.  The dragonfly is the “prayer messenger” in Pueblo pottery.  The contrast of the polished, matte, and stippled surfaces is striking on this large piece!  Tammy is never content with her pottery and each new piece takes her unique style to a new level of creativity and precision.  Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery for nearly the past 30 years.  Her creative work in clay, glass, and bronze is found in museums worldwide.  It is exciting to see how her contemporary work continues to move Pueblo pottery forward with it innovations.  We are proud to be the only gallery currently representing her new works in clay.

Tammy says of her new evolving art in clay:

“My love for jewelry also reveals itself in the clay.  I want to make each piece I make precious, jewel-like. My new “pillow effect” is really tapering.  It’s achieved in the carving process.  I do it so that the area surrounding the carved designs is higher and the edges are recessed.  It makes the carving more delicate but also less fragile.   I love detail.  When I’m carving a piece the smaller the carved line the more fragile.  Each layer is a fragile, delicate balance of one design on top of another. I want to be able to get more detail and create the optical illusion of even more layers from a distance.  I’ve been working to create even more detail in my work than ever before. “