WOW!  This is a very intricately carved jar by Tammy Garica.  The piece is entitled “Shadows on the Mountain”, which is meant to capture bears, mountains, and flowers all seemingly in motion and yet at a distance.  The jar is carved on numerous levels with contrasting polished and matte surfaces.  Around the neck are two large mountain lions. There is a band with four carved bear paws.  On the shoulder is a carved band of clouds.  Around the center are two carved bears.  In addition, numerous flowers are carved into the clay.  One of the flowers on the neck has a single inset piece of turquoise.  Each section has carving at various levels to create dimensionality and slight shadows.  The number of carved sections that are also polished is overwhelming on this jar.  Overall, there are at least four levels of carving on the jar as he has carved away to create deeper and deeper sections.  The jar combines matte, polished, and stippled areas on the surface.  The stippling is a time-consuming process that visually adds to the overall impact of the design. It is amazing how complex this jar is in terms of her carving.  The jar was fired red and 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:

“My love for jewelry 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.