Virgil Ortiz is known for his use of traditional and modern design on his Cochiti pottery.  He recently said that he had some clay left over after making some pottery and decided to make some small bird figures.  Virgil said they reminded him of the birds made by his mother, Seferina Ortiz, and his grandmother, Laurencita Herrera.  Each bird is coil built and painted with wild spinach (a plant) for the black. This bird has traditional Cochiti rain and storm cloud designs for the wings.  On this one, the tail is raised up and then painted and there is a rain cloud on the front.   The beak is painted with a red clay slip.  The bird is signed on the bottom.