COCHITI, SANTO DOMINGO, JEMEZ AND ZIA

Click on the photograph for an enlarged view.

      Dorothy is the daughter of deceased Cochiti potter Mary Frances Herrera. Mary Frances started making storytellers in the years after Helen Cordero invented the form at Cochiti in 1964. After Dorothy's mother passed away in 1990, Dorothy was able to continue in the style that her mother had worked.
     These two bears are whimsical examples of Dorothy’s storytellers. We love the bear, with the cubs and the fish.

#CW12728 - Black & White Bears
A) 4" high by 2" wide
Price: $120
B) 4" high by 2" wide
Price: $120 SOLD

     Juanita Inez Ortiz was born in New Mexico in 1960. She learned pottery from her mother, Seferina Ortiz, who was considered to be one of the matriarchs of storytellers and of figurine pottery. Inez began working in pottery in 1984. She started exhibiting (and winning awards) at the Santa Fe Indian Market in 1997. Inez's art has been shown at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, alongside that of her brother Virgil Ortiz.
      Inez Ortiz has been featured in Native Peoples and American Indian Art magazines. She is cited in Dillingham's Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery and Schaaf's Southern Pueblo Pottery 2.000 Artist Biographies.
      Known for her figurative pottery, this is a new example of one of her Directional Figures representing the East. Beautifully coiled, and beautifully painted, it is a great example of her work.

#CW10715 - 14" high by 7" wide
Price: $850 SOLD

      Mary Trujillo was born in 1937. Her husband is Leonard Trujillo, who has been helping Mary with her work since the 1980’s. She learned many of her techniques in creating storytellers from her mother-in-law – the famous Helen Cordero. Mary has won numerous awards throughout the years, at all the various Pueblo art shows. There are so few Cochiti potters making the old style storytellers, we are so honored to have Mary make them for our gallery.
      This is a very large male Keres figure – drumming and singing. The traditional cowboy hat with the leather hat band is worn, and the accurate detailed clothing designs are replicated. The drum here is made by Mary's husband, Leonard. It is hollowed out cottonwood, with rawhide drum heads. We just can’t say enough about her work.

#CW5728 - 14" high by 9" wide
Price: $2200

WOW! We just received a marvelous, classic storyteller from Mary. This is actually the first true storyteller we have had from her. We love her single drummer figures, but we have always wanted to showcase one of her storytellers. Here is the Keres grandfather, with EIGHT children listening to his stories. Mary’s grandfather always wore a black hat with no creases, just like this grandfather. The clothing is realistic, and the expression on the grandpa’s face is wonderful.

#CW5729 - 14" high by 9" wide
Price: $2800 SOLD

      Potter Robert Tenorio is credited with single-handedly reviving the art form of Santo Domingo pottery. He has been honored and praised as a native potter for years. Robert went to the Institute of Indian Arts (IAIA) in the 1960s to become a silversmith. He often ventured into the clay section at the school and then later decided to take up potting. He uses all natural clays and coiling, painting, and firing techniques. Some very high powered people have collected his work: The Royal Family of Great Britain, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, The City of Beverly Hills, Ronald Regan and others. His work is featured at various museums and galleries throughout the world. To spend time with Robert is quite special. He is a fantastic storyteller; sitting and watching Robert paint a pot is a grand experience, because the conversation that goes with it - is priceless!
      This bowl is a wonderful example of Robert's work. It has such an "old" feel about it. The painting is soft and muted. There are two predominant themes- old style floral patterns and Kiva steps. It is wonderfully made with a beautiful shape. All the horizontal lines and wave patterns create a feeling of movement.

#CW186 - 6 1/2" high by 9" wide
Price: $1200

      This is such a great large bowl by Robert. It is painted so completely inside and out. This large open bowl utilizes the traditional designs and strong graphics that are the hallmark of Santo Domingo pottery and Robert's work. He has depicted birds, feathers, and geometric patterns on the outside, fabulous varied sized turtles on the inside, and even more wave and geometric patterns on the bottom. So much movement flows on this piece. It is so rich in pigments and tones – just a fantastic piece!

#CW3814 - 6 1/2" high by 12" wide
Price: $2100

      Gerry makes her storyteller clay dolls in the traditional methods. All natural materials are used, and this piece is truly delightful. We love how the young children are on her lap, but also hanging off her shoulders. You can just imagine them listening hard to the stories the grandmother has to reveal.

#CW12727 - 7 1/2" high by 6" wide by 8 1/2" deep
Price: $350

      BJ Fragua is the daughter of Juanita Fragua. Her sister is Glendora, a wonderful potter, and her brother is Cliff Fragua, a talented sculptor. She is an exceptionally talented artist, creating some of the best of Jemez traditional pottery. She was inspired to make pottery by her mother Juanita many years ago, and has now developed a unique and beautifully elegant design style. Known for her precise and strikingly beautiful painting, she continues to use traditional images as she discovers new shapes and forms. There is a wonderful symmetry in her designs as they flow around the mid sections of her pottery. BJ carves sections of her pots, and then accentuates the painted areas in which she paints her designs. Her finishes are smooth, and she creates a high sheen to the polished areas.
This is a stunning painted vase by BJ. Using new design elements, this is the first one she has made like it. Depicting a starry night, she uses classic floral and butterfly designs. It is a lovely composition.

#CW9723 - 9 " high by 7 " wide
Price: $1200

      Glendora Fragua was born into a family of potters at the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico. Her mother, the well known potter Juanita Fragua, was her main inspiration. So at the age of 16, Glendora tried her hand at pottery making.But unlike Juanita, Glendora experimented with the scratch technique of etched pottery called sgraffito. Her designs are created by scratching away part of the polished surface of the pot. She often sets tones (coral, turquoise, onyx, malachite, lapis) into the decorated portions of the pots.They are placed in the pot before firing, removed during that process, and then replaced after the firing. This is by far one of the most difficult of all decorating methods, but Glendora has become a master at it ! Her work shows both a delicacy and sophistication.
      This is a terrific new tile from Glendora. She has been working on various designs in tile work – and this is one of the best! She has three bears, each one with turquoise eyes, stacked on top of each other. There are varying shades of reds, tans, creams and terra cotta all around. It is really beautiful.

#CW175 - 4" high by 2 1/8 " wide
Price: $425 SOLD

     Masterful and unique is a good way to describe this marvelous bowl form Glendora. Using no added stones she shows tremendous detailed incising of butterflies and dragonflies amidst a myriad of other flowers and symbolic elements. The opening is carved in a scalloped pattern, with a clearly defined black line and circles below. Reds, rusts, black, tans, and orange hues make this polychrome piece exceptional. The work doesn’t’ stop on the top – The entire bottom half of the pot is delicately incised with floral and geometric patterns as well. This is such labor intensive work. This is a stunning new creation.

#CW7718 - 4" high by 7" wide
Price: $2500 SOLD

     For the first time we have polka dotted GECKOS by Glendora. Stylized and modern, they are so colorful and whimsical. This is a great example of her terrific polychrome incised work. It is a great seed pot – top, sides, and bottom!

#CW3817 - 1 1/2" high by 3 1/4" wide
Price: $425

     Glendora has been putting forth much energy in perfecting her incising skills and designs. This new red vase is wonderful. On one side you see the Yei figure, and the rest of the vase is covered with vertical rows of floral patterns. It is so expertly made.

#CW174 - 5 1/2" high by 6" wide
Price: $875 SOLD

     We have become smitten with Glendora’s incising and depictions of dragonflies. This is a magnificent tile using corn plants and floral images as the central motif. The deep incising within the buff colored clay seems to blend so well with the painted polychrome images. Glendora has carefully attached the tile to a deep green mat, and then has framed that into a shadow box. It is a beautiful composition.

#CW1811 - 11" high by 8 3/4" wide
Price: $850

     Here are more dragonflies, but this time flying around a flat shaped seed pot. Beautiful incising, terrific painting, and marvelous polishing all lead to an exquisite piece of red slipped pottery. The carved spirals, flowers, and geometrics are very nicely done.

#CW3818 - 1 1/2" high by 2 3/4" wide
Price: $395 SOLD

     Kathleen Wall, an accomplished young potter from Jemez is known for her sculpted, clay whimsical Koshare clown figures and masks. We were fortunate to have here her in Denver, working as one of our guests at an open house. Her sense of humor, combined with her friendly personality made our local customers very happy to be in her presence. Kathleen's father, Steve Wall, is a Chippewa stone sculptor, while her mother Fannie Loretto, is a well known Jemez potter. Naturally, Kathleen knew she wanted to work in clay. "When you're absolutely surrounded by it, you can't help it," she says, "I picked clay as an art form because I grew up with it. It came naturally but it didn't come easy." Kathleen graduated from the Institute of American Indian Art and her work has become a part of the permanent collection at the IAIA Museum. When she entered her work for the first time for judging at Indian Market in Santa Fe, she went home with top honors in the ceramic sculpture category.
     This particular clown is so delightful. Kathleen sculpted a drum, for the seated figure to rest. The Koshare holds a slice of watermelon, and has the rest of it is sitting nearby. Facial expressions are important to Kathleen, and this figure has a great, full smile!

#CW5730 - 24" high by 9" wide
Price: $2400

     I so enjoy working with both sisters, from Zia; Ruby Panana and Eleanor Griego. Eleanor Pino-Griego is one of Zia Pueblo's best-known potters. She is of the Coyote/Sage Brush Clans and has been an active potter since the 1970s working with traditional polychrome jars, bowls and vases. Ascension Galvan Pino, her grandmother, and Laura Pino, her mother, taught her. Eleanor has won awards at the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Eight Northern Pueblos Arts & Crafts Fair.
I so enjoy some of Eleanor’s old style shapes. This is a food bowl with an added scalloped lip. Look at the nice polishing all the way on the inside of the bowl – and the added design painted on the inside of the lip. Beautifully painted, it is a classic piece.

#CW5722 - 5" high by 10 1/2" wide
Price: $600

     We have never had a pitcher from Eleanor, and this one is wonderfully coiled and painted. We particularly like the medallions with the Zia birds – each one surrounded by beautiful detailed borders. Eleanor is such a terrific potter, as well as painter.

#CW5723 - 8 1/2" high by 7" wide
Price: $550

     Eleanor refers to this shape as a “traditional woman’s canteen.” The painting on this piece is particularly nice. The bird on both sides, the formation of the fluted neck, the handles on the side – all the details on this canteen are really lovely.

#CW12721 - 7 3/4" high by 8 1/2" wide
Price: $450 SOLD

     Ruby Panana was born and raised in Zia. She is part of four generations of potters, learning most of her pottery from her mom, Serafina Pino Bell. Ruby went through the fourth grade at the Zia Day School and then went to Albuquerque for her higher grades. She attended West Mesa High School. While in high school, she helped her mother with her pottery, and then began to make some small pieces on her own. She got "bored" and went on to the University of Albuquerque working towards a teaching degree. But at that point, her scholarship money did not cover her expenses, so she had to quit college. She laughs, as she told me, "I became a very good bartender for nine years, but then I really got bored!" She wanted to start a family with her husband Larry, so she quit the bartending business and started to make pottery full time in 1983.
     Ruby's first ribbon was a FIRST PLACE in the New Mexico State Fair in 1985 and she has been winning awards ever since.
     Ruby is such a delight! Her pots are completely traditional in every aspect - materials- methods- designs... She loves her link to the past - and enjoys recreating that history in her pottery making.

#CW10720 - 13 " high by 18 " wide
Price: $1400 SOLD

     Here is another classic shaped olla by Ruby. We particularly like the black and white stripes at the top of the pot, and then repeated again in the bird’s feathers. It is a very nice detail.

#CW176 - 8" high by 9 1/2 " wide
Price: $375

     Consistent, classic, and traditional; these are all terms that apply to Ruby’s work. This is a particularly nice shaped large bowl with the birds, rainbows, and stair stepped images. She has used the tan background slip, and it creates an overall soft, warm finish.

#CW3813 - 11" high by 12" wide
Price: $800

     This is a beautiful traditional Zia olla. The detail work is nice on this tan bowl. The rim is nicely carved with black lines defining the area. The Zia birds and floral images are beautifully painted. Ruby continues to make terrific classic pottery.

#CW7725 - 8 1/2" high by 10 1/2" wide
Price: $700