Gaylon Westika is the son of noted potters Anderson and Avelia Peynetsa.  Each piece is coil built and painted with classic Zuni imagery.  This large jar is a striking shape with a round body and a slight. neck. The jar is two colors with a red clay slip on the bottom and an orangish color above the shoulder.  The bottom half of the jar is painted with complex rain and lightning designs.  Note the fine lines for the rain. The top half has Gaylon’s stylistic heartline deer.  The deer encircle the jar and are surrounded by dragonflies. Dragonflies are significant as prayer messengers.  Near the feet of the deer are Zuni style plant patterns. The jar is complex and the style of deer are indicative of Gaylon’s painting.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Gaylon says of his art:

“I work hard to develop pottery that speaks both to me and others about the beauty that exists here in Zuni. With the completion of each piece, I believe the breath of my ancestors live on, reminding us of the Zuni culture, traditional design and lifestyle we strive to preserve.” Gaylon Westika