This is a creative jar by Tammy Garcia.  The jar is coil-built and carved on numerous levels. The jar has a round body and a short neck. The piece is entitled, “Santa Fe Thunderbird”.  The jar has a large Thunderbird on each side.  They are carved on multiple levels and there is a rectangular polished section in the center of each bird. Tammy said she wanted to create the illusion of a coral inset in each bird using the clay.  To the sides of one bird are rain clouds and there is a rain cloud above the other.  Note how tightly she has carved the lines of rain!  Below one of the Thunderbirds she has carved “Santa Fe”. Tammy says this jar is a reflection on the world of art and jewelry, and how Santa Fe has been the center for Indigenous art.  The jar is carved on numerous levels.  Note all the designs are carved with Tammy’s signature “pillow” effect.  It is visually dramatic and makes each small carved area appear jewel-like in appearance.  Tammy has stippled surfaces of the clay, which is very time-consuming.  The stippling creates a contrast of shadows in place of just flat matte areas.  However, it can take days just to texture an entire piece this size and have them appear even across the surface.  As the piece is turned, there are so many layers of the jar that it is hard to see them all at once!  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tammy Garcia”.

ammy 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:

“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. “