Mark Tahbo learned to make pottery from his great grandmother, Grace Chapella.  His pieces reflect the wonderful symmetry and thin walls of an excellent potter. The designs are painted using native clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black. This is a classic bowl from 2003. On this piece Mark included a variety of styles of Hopi birds.  Each was painted with different clay slips and he wanted to create a sense of motion.  They fly around the bowl and in, under and around the lid.  This is one of the few pieces where Mark made a lid for his pottery.  Note the use of all the various clay colors from mauve to red to burgundy.  It is an exciting and complicated vessel bringing together a all these Hopi birds in a contemporary manner!  Mark has made it an important part of his career to create the blushes in the firing process.  The depth of the coloration gives his vessels such life!  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.