Lucy Leupp McKelvey (b. 1950) was raised by her great-grandparents and other older relatives near Sheep Springs, Arizona.  She began making pottery in 1973.  She uses native clays and traditional clays and pigments (hematite, bee-weed, etc) for her pottery.  They are fired outdoors using oak.  Her designs are inspired by traditional sandpainting and rug designs.  This large water jar is coil-built and painted before firing.  The jar has a large ear of white corn on the front in applique.  As the jar is turned, it is very tightly painted with rug designs and a Yei figure on the neck.  There is an additional corn design near the base of the jar.  The neck was carved away into a cloud step shape and the back of the neck is even painted!  Lucy’s work is always exceptional in detail and design.  It is signed on the base  ‘Lucy Leuppe McKelvey”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.

Lucy says of her pottery:

“I am mostly a self-taught potter who has spent the last 44 years trying to make the art of Navajo pottery evolve up into a fine art form that goes beyond tradition but still uses traditional native materials and methods. I am known for making very large, polychrome pots in a great variety of shapes that are painted with almost outrageous detail.  Most of my work tells a story and contains design elements from the ancients, ceremonial sandpaintings, baskets, and rugs that have been stylized by my own imagination and inspiration.”  Lucy McKelvey