This is a complex jar by Tammy Garcia.  The jar is carved on numerous levels with contrasting polished and matte surfaces.  On one side there is a Pueblo girl holding a water jar on her head.  She is carved into a frame with flowers and there are bear paws on the base of the frame.  As the jar is turned, there are additional flowers and varied sections of the design.  Each panel is carved on multiple levels.  Opposite the girl is a carved heartline bear.  The bear is polished and surrounded by a frame with flowers.  Note the amazing levels of design from the heartline downward!  The areas surrounding the carved and polished designs are stippled so that they have an additional texture. This is a time-consuming process but one which visually adds to the overall impact of the design.  Note the various layers of the jar as she uses polished, matte, and stippled surfaces to create various textures and visual contrasts.  Stunning!  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tammy Garcia”.  Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery and has 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.  Yet each piece is unique and expands on her distinctive style and voice in the clay.  Tammy says of her new evolving art in clay:

 “About 10 years ago I began Incorporating stones in my work.    Today, instead of adding stones, I’ve used the clay as the gem itself!   Now a “stone” in my pottery is really just an area of highly polished clay.  The central section in a carved thunderbird may look like a large stone, or small polished squares resemble heishi beads around the neck of the jar.  I can polish the red clay to represent coral or burnish an area and fire it black to represent a jet or onyx.”

“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. “