This is a lidded water jar by Tammy Garcia.  The jar is carved on numerous levels with contrasting polished and matte surfaces.  The piece is entitled, “Path of Beauty”.  The jar has a high, sharp shoulder and short neck. The neck has carved flowers. The shoulder has a sharp edge and rounded clouds.  Around the body of the jar are large cougars along with cougar tracks.  There are additional flowers and the words, “Kha’Po Owingeh” which is the Tewa name for Santa Clara Pueblo.  It is translated as either singing water village or Village of Wild Roses.  Tammy said that the typeface was important to her when she was putting the words on the jar.  She wanted it to have a classic typewriter or newspaper font. Tammy said that it is important to her to add the Pueblo name to her pottery at times, to remind people of the history can language that are imbued in the pottery.  The jar has a lid with plant designs on each side.  The jar has inset pieces of turquoise.  It is a beautiful balance to the jar.  Overall, the jar has layers of design and depth with polished, matte, and stippled areas.  Tammy says of her current work:

“I am inspired by the forms and designs of historical Pueblo pottery.  When making pottery, there is intentional placement of every coil.  Once I have a design in mind I’ll make proportions on graph paper.  Clouds on the shoulder will look scalloped after I have them carved.  When the clay is dry I send then polish with a smooth stone over a clay slip.”

Each of Tammy’s pieces tells a story about family, culture, tradition, and personal creativity.  The jar was fired red and is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tammy Garcia”.  There is a blue ribbon from the 2025 Gallup Ceremonials.

Brand

Garcia, Tammy (b. 1969)

Tammy Garcia

Tammy Garcia is undoubtedly one of the most renowned Pueblo potters.  She is the daughter of Linda Cain and sister to Autumn Borts-Medlock.  She is also Mary Cain's granddaughter, Christina Naranjo's great-granddaughter, and Sara Fina Tafoya's great-great-granddaughter.  Tammy learned to make pottery from her mother and continued the Pueblo traditions of using native clay as the foundation.  Her distinctive pottery bridges the gap between traditional and modern.  The intricacy and precision of her carving are attractions to her pottery and bronze art.  Tammy's pottery continues to evolve in new directions with each new idea. Amazingly, Tammy Garcia makes less than ten pieces a year.  This small number is a reflection of the time involved in each section.  The building, designing, carving, polishing, and firing are labor-intensive.  As a result of the time required, she never replicates a design or pot, which is part of her art's dynamic process. Tammy Garcia's distinctive forms and imagery create "stories" on the vessels.  Her designs are inspired by Pueblo's life, animals, insects, and pueblo stories, and traditional images are both traditional and contemporary.  Her work's surface is polished and carved, and there is always an outstanding balance of carved versus matte areas. Tammy's pottery is in permanent collections and museums worldwide, such as the Denver Art Museum, the Heard Museum, and the Autry Museum.  She has won multiple awards for pottery and, most recently, was the subject of a one-woman exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

SIGN ME UP FOR NEW ADDITIONS BY TAMMY>

WATCH AN ARTIST SERIES SHORT VIDEO BY TAMMY>