SANTA CLARA AND SAN JUAN

Click on the photograph for an enlarged view.

     We are fortunate to be working directly with Autumn Borts from Santa Clara. She comes from a long line of distinguished and talented potters. Her great grandmother was Christina Naranjo, her grandmother is Mary Cain, her mother is Linda Cain, and her sister is Tammy Garcia. These women have contributed so much to the world of traditional pottery from the Santa Clara Pueblo.
      A review of Autumn's work in Native Peoples Magazine states, "Autumn Borts has quietly arrived at her place among the best of today's contemporary ceramicists. Her unhurried but steady climb upward over the past ten years has been marked by many successes, among them several important commissions (including one from the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe), inclusion in a number of distinguished museum and gallery exhibitions, and, most recently, acceptance into Santa Fe Indian Market. "Pottery ties me to an ancient tradition; it connects me to my ancestors. Knowing that a thousand grandmothers did this before me is amazing, and to have been born into this heritage is a gift."
      Autumn is interested in continuing to create the old style shapes and designs in her work, as well as exploring new, more contemporary pieces. She works in both black ware, and red and tans, creating her own polychrome elements with floral patterns, figurative designs, and other new shapes. We are so pleased every time we acquire a new piece from her, as each one is different from the others, and each one has its own unique qualities.
      Based on pre-historic forms, Autumn has coiled and carved a stunning effigy bird figure. This parrot is fully carved, with dynamic floral images, as well as Pueblo spirals. The contrast between the polished areas and the matte carved areas is gorgeous on this bird. All the elements on this piece are so well proportioned. The beak, the eyes, the head, the body, the flowers; it all just sits so nicely on a small rounded bottom. We are so pleased to show this outstanding new work.

#SC9128 - 5” high by 6” long
Price: $4000 SOLD

     Dolores Curran is the daughter of the late Ursalita Naranjo, and the sister of the well known potter, Jeri Naranjo. Dolores has won almost every prize there is for her pots that have the cream colored painting on top of a red polished pot. The intricacy of her painting is almost unbelievable. When you look at them up close, it is hard to understand just how a person can have such a steady hand. Her work is highly collectible and widely sought after. She won BEST OF DIVISION at the Santa Fe Indian Market, and has won accolades wherever her pots are seen. For anyone interested in the finest miniatures made, these pots would be a noteworthy addition to your collection.
     We all know that Dolores is an amazing painter and sgraffito artist. Sometimes a piece comes along that just knocks you out a bit. For me, this is one of them! This is one of the most exacting, meticulously painted/incised plates I have seen. The workmanship seen here is at the highest level. There are two Avanyu around the top border of the plate, separated by other symbols. Then a band of prayer feathers, in the matte finish are separated by polished stair stepped designs. The center of the plate has a medallion that is both matte and polished. There isn’t a single space on this creation that is not perfectly designed. Even the backside of the plate has a pattern. This is absolutely fabulous.

#SC3126 - ¾” high by 3 7/16 wide
Price: $1100

      Debra was born in Espanola, just outside the Pueblo. She has lived her whole life in Santa Clara, but she spent her summers with her grandparents in Manitou Springs, Colorado. They were the caretakers of the Cliff Dwellings Museum. Her grandparents spoke only Tewa to her. Debra started making pottery in 1979. Her mother, Genevieve Gutierrez was her main teacher. Debra had been the Secretary to the Dean at the Institute of American India Arts in Santa Fe, but now she is a full time potter. All her work is made in the most traditional ways .She specializes in highly polished seed bowls with the most intricate, detailed etching of designs. She mixes and combines slips to make her pots black and red. Using cord wood, cow, and horse manure, she fires her pieces right behind her house. Her exquisite carvings are made with sharply pointed scribes, cut from the handles of chain-saw files. She often carves turtles, hummingbirds, sun-faced designs, clouds, and Kiva steps. I think her SGRAFFITO techniques allow her to create some of the nicest pieces of pottery available today. She is married to Preston Duwyenie, the well known Hopi potter.
      Debra has recently been doing some beautiful black pieces. This seed bowl is expertly incised with a turtle on the top, then a circle of précised feathers. Below that are clouds and Avanyu and then stair stepped mountain images. The piece fired beautifully to a dark black hue.

#SC71112 - 2 ¾” high by 3 ¼” wide
Price: $550

      This plate was made by Preston and then polished by Debra. The back is fully polished and the front has also been fully polished and then the designs incised into the clay. The central medallion is a sun face with very tightly etched feathers. There are seven turtles surrounding the sun face, each with a different design on its back. Note the one turtle with the wavy lines, which is meant to represent Preston and his shifting sand pottery. Surrounding the turtles are dragonflies and around the rim is a water serpent! There is an amazing amount of design for such a small piece, but it all works so beautifully. It is always interesting that Debra does all of her sgraffito work into the clay before they are fired, which adds to the difficulty of her work. One can see why both Preston and Debra have won numerous awards for theirr pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum Indian Market. Congratulations again for winning a red ribbon in the Miniature category at the Heard show in March of 2013 !

#SC31312 - 4.75" diameter
Price: $650

     Across the board, people believe that Grace Medicine Flower is certainly one the most important contemporary potters of our time. She is a member of the famous Tafoya family of Santa Clara. Her well-known father, Camilio (Sunlower) Tafoya was Margaret Tafoya's brother. Grace was born in 1938, and at an early age learned to make pottery. With her brother Joseph Lonewolf, they pioneered the art of sgraffito - carving and incising delicate designs into unfired pieces of pottery. Over the years, Grace and Joseph elevated that tradition into perfection. Grace is able to create perfectly constructed and etched miniatures, as well as larger decorated and polished vessels. Grace has stated, "I thank God for giving me the hands to create pottery. I talk to the the Clay Lady and promise to do my best to make her beautiful." Grace has been able to integrate traditional methods of pottery construction with her own strong sense of a personal history. She is one of those magnificent potters that combine tradition with innovation, and we are so fortunate to be able to see the results of her timeless commitment to this art form.
     Oh my – It is startling sometimes to see what Grace can create. Over the years, she continues to delight us with her efforts and her skills. Every single bowl she creates is different from the last one. She never knows until she is well into the creation of the piece, just how it will turn out.
     This flat black medallion pot shows such a nice balance and symmetry. The central medallion on the top of the piece is incised with butterflies and then feathers are carved around it, as if to make a beautiful border. A second medallion on the top is incised with a hummingbird getting nectar from the flowers. The rest of the top is deeply carved with stylized eagle tails. The matte bottom also has two medallions with the same hummingbird, flowers and butterfly. Grace was so meticulous on this piece and the carving and incising is exquisite. It is a wonderful example of her work in black.

#SC1191 - 1 3/4" high by 5 3/4" wide
Price: $5500

     In the last three years, Grace has made a small number of miniatures for us. Here is her newest- a polychrome fish seed bowl. SIX fish are on the top; four black and white, and two red and green. She has even carved the bubbles coming from their mouths. The bottom of the bowl is magnificently carved with spirals and curves – polished red and slipped tans. It is a wonderful composition. Grace makes so few pieces every year; we are honored to continue to show her newest works.

#SC9124 - 1 ½” high by 2 ¼” wide
Price: $2950

     Jody Folwell is one of the most important innovators of our time. She experiments with abstraction, composition, movement, themes and textures. Because of her work with different slips and firing techniques, her polished pieces take on different colors, shades, and textures all within the same piece of pottery. For those of us who have become interested in contemporary pueblo ceramics, the importance of Jody Folwell is now a matter of record. Her courageous deviations form the traditions of her time are an inspiration for other potters for years to come.
     This vase is beautifully shaped with its asymmetric opening. The vase itself is a consistent red/brown polished piece with terrific incising of lizards and wolf. Matte areas are carved along with the gently incised squares, x’s and lines. The detail work is so complete.

#SC1086 - 5" high by 4 1/8 " wide
Price: $1450

      Polly Rose, daughter of esteemed potter, Jody Folwell, is an incredible potter in her own right. Like her mother, and sister (Susan) she too, has won numerous awards. Born in 1962, she has been creating beautiful pieces of traditional pottery for many years now. So many of the breakthroughs made by her mother are also evidenced in Polly's works. She is both imaginative and creative. Her polishing skills rival many other potters. Polly Rose just recently won the 2003 Best of Pottery award at the annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market.
    This new piece by Polly shows off so many of her terrific skills-all in one pot. The shape is great, with the design work showing off so well on the top of the bowl. The uneven opening is beautifully formed and actually has a “notched” look – as she has carved into the actual lip of the pot. The classic "Folwell browns" are in place; variations of hues of brown. This time she has a contemporary flair, adding the wide band of designs in the foreground set against the incised X’s of varying sizes. The polishing throughout is terrific.

#SC396 - 4" high by 5 1/4" wide
Price: $1250

      Susan Folwell was born in 1970. She is the granddaughter of Rose Naranjo, and the daughter of Jody Folwell. Even though she grew up in a major pottery making family, Susan did not plan on being a potter herself. She studied design and fine arts photography at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, "My studies were focused on two dimensional design, but in pottery, one must think in a three dimensional way." After college, she worked for a professional photographer, but soon found that she was yearning for more creative expression. She soon returned home to New Mexico and began her professional life as a potter. While still using Native clays and firing techniques, Susan is now considered to be on the cutting edge of the contemporary pottery field. She uses her own designs and forms, combining various symbols from many Indian cultures. We have worked with Susan for several years now, and it has been such a delight to watch her grow and challenge herself as an artist. In a short number of years, she has become one of the most sought after Pueblo potters of our time.
     This is a very contemporary jar coiled by Susan. Multiple lizard images abound! Slipped in browns and tans, and incised on top and bottom, they all appear to be moving on the pot, not static in any way. Using them in the foreground set amongst geometric blocks, squares and circles adds great visual interest to the piece. She has used a combination of native clays and added paints added over some of the painted areas. This adds some real 3 D effects to the overall look. If you look at the lip of the jar, you can see beautifully incised “X” designs. This same theme is repeated with nine detailed rows of “X’s on the bottom of the jar. This shape is nicely conceived, a beautiful canvas for her imagery.

#SC5108 - 8” high by 5” wide
Price: $975 SOLD

     Goldenrod is the name used by Santa Clara potter Gloria Garcia. Gloria, with the assistance of her husband, John, creates beautiful sgraffito pottery. Both of these potters come from well respected families. Gloria is the daughter of the late Petra Gutierrez and the sister of Minnie Vigil, Thelma Talachy and Lois de la Cruz (Lois and Derek). John is the half-brother of Tina Garcia, Greg Garcia and Virginia Garcia. Gloria and John's pottery collaboration has been most fruitful as they have won many awards and appeared in shows all over the United States.
     This is a very nice sized seed bowl from Goldenrod. Magnificently incised, it depicts various frogs and long necked cranes. The polishing is wonderful, and intricacy of this particular bowl is remarkable. Gloria always does such a wonderful job of incising. It is a pleasure to show her work. Notice that the cranes are in different poses, with flying birds above, and beautiful cattail plants in each of those frames.

#SC31313- 2 ½” high by 3” wide
Price: $700 SOLD

     This seed bowl is different from anything I have seen from Gloria. It shows a horse, but rather than typically standing on all fours, this horse is upright in almost a dancing position. A small rabbit sits the left of the horse. Like her other work, it is beautifully incised and magnificently polished.

#SC121015- 2 ½” high by 2 ½” wide
Price: $600

     Tina Garcia was a sister of Greg Garcia and granddaughter of Severa Tafoya. She was renowned for her re-creation of classic Santa Clara forms. Her vessels are traditionally coiled and very highly polished. It is the balance of form and the simplicity of design which was definitely a hallmark of her pottery. Here is a fully polished kiva bowl, with a step design rising from the back of the piece. The "kiva steps" are representative of the Kiva, which is where all ceremonial religious activities take place. The shoulder on the bowl is very sharp and creates a beautiful edge as the piece rises to the terraced side. The inside of the bowl is slipped with micaceous clay. This piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Tina won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Market, and her work can also be found in museums around the country. This is such an elegant example of her marvelous polished ware.

#SCSC3138- 6 ¾” high by 8” wide
Price: $900

     Gary Gutierrez, “P’aa-Ay-P’in”, or “ Deer Mountain”, was born in 1967. He is the son of potters Dororthy and Paul Gutierrez . He began working with clay at the age of 9. Gary says that his inspiration to make pottery comes from the Anasazi people. Gary specializes in hand making what he calls Anasazi figurines. “To me they represent a time, when life was simple and balanced in this world.” Gary’s favorite one’s to coil are the figures that hold the pottery. He does very fine human figures that are well formed and beautifully polished. His figures always have difficult and complex surfaces to polish so Gary uses pencil-shaped stalactites as polishing stones. The finish he achieves using these stones is truly remarkable. Gary used to pot part-time only (at one time playing in a Los Angeles rock band and returning to Santa Clara to fire) but due to the increased demand for his work he now pots full-time.
      Here is a pair of beautiful black carved Corn Maidens. The one on the left is holding a wedding vase, and the one on the right features an ear of corn. Both maidens are wearing carved triple strand necklaces with pendants, all polished against a carved matte background. The backsides are completely polished. They are so beautifully conceived and executed.

#SC11312-
A) With wedding vase
6 ¾” high by 3” wide
Price: $500 SOLD
B) With ear of corn
6 ¾” high by 3” wide
Price $500 SOLD

     This magnificent, hand coiled and intricately painted vessel was made by Santa Clara artist, Lois Gutierrez. Lois has a very unique and easy to recognize style. It is unlike the traditional red and black ware typically seen in this pueblo. This beautifully crafted vase has a very unique shoulder area and perfect symmetry. A beautiful eagle pattern that repeats three times around the piece is painted in soft earth tone colors that give the piece a very traditional feel. Below the offset shoulder are geometric wave patterns in the same color scheme. The lip is slipped a terra cotta color, and the inside of the neck is beautifully polished. This piece is absolutely breathtaking!

#SC5137- 10” high by 11” wide
Price $2200

     Dean Haungooah is the son of noted potter Art Cody Haungooah and Martha Suazo. Like his father, his traditional, hand coiled sgraffito pottery features extremely detailed animal imagery. These two seed pots show his precision of incising. The brown and tan coloration is beautiful.

#SC21215 -
A) Brown and tan hand coiled and incised Mimbres spider seed pot
1 1/2" high by 1 3/4" wide
Price: $295 SOLD
B) Brown and tan hand coiled and incised Quail seed pot
2 1/4" high by 2" wide
Price: $395

     In the late 1960’s, Joseph Lonewolf began using the sgraffito technique on his pottery. This technique was also used by his father, Camilio Tafoya, and sister Grace Medicine Flower. Using the tip of a pocketknife blade, he began to lightly scratch away the surface of the clay, creating precise animal designs. Using different amounts of pressure, he was able to create various effects on his pots. The pots are fired outside, in the traditional manner. Joseph signed each piece, and assigned a serial number to the bottom.
     This piece was made in 1997. It shows the Mimbres Deer in two tones of red. The back of the pot is polished to a very high sheen of red. A photo of Joseph holding this pot accompanies it.

#SC1109 - 1 ¾” high by 1 ¾” wide
Price: $1600

     This is our second piece by the young artist, Johnathan Naranjo. He is the son of well known potter, Forest Naranjo, and grandson of Bernice Naranjo. Even though he has been working only a few years he is clearly excelling in the family tradition of hand coiling and incising brown polished pottery. This bowl shows five horses, galloping around the top of the bowl with swirls and spirals framing the running horses. There is also a carved band around the lip, adding extra texture and dimension to the piece. He is certainly a potter to watch.

#SC11310 - 2 ½” high by 4 ½” wide
Price: $395

     I spent quite a bit of time two weeks ago getting to know Johnathan. He is so delightful, thoughtful, kind, and very hard working. He is definitely a young talent to watch. Johnathan is committed to preserving his cultural heritage through his traditional art form. This stair stepped tall vase, is such a blend of tradition and modern form. It shows four distinctive panels, each with an incised Deer Dancer. The squared off edges, with the stair stepped opening reveals a terrific shape. The areas around the opening have been left matte, and the rest of the vase is polished to a deep brown tone. Paying close attention to his design work, the Deer Dancers are deeply incised on the borders, and lightly incised on the inner bodies. It is as if he has “framed” the actual image of the Dancer. It’s creatively done. I am so pleased about working with a young new talent. Johnathan was working full time until recently, and has now decided to devote all of his time to being a potter. He learned a lot from his grandmother, Bernice, and she should be thrilled with the results.

#SC31322 - 9 ¾” high by 4” wide (at the widest point)
Price: $900 SOLD

     Jennifer Moquino is one of the brightest new artists from Santa Clara pueblo working in the sgraffito area. Her incising work is particularly detailed and precise -- revealing great accuracy and fabulous use of color. Her themes are of wildlife and fish in stunning realist detail with fabulous traditional Santa Clara geometrics adding a great finish to her work.
      Jennifer is the daughter of Emily Suazo-Tafoya and Ray Tafoya. She and her husband, Mike Moquino, work together, and are producing outstanding work. In 2004, Jennifer was honored with BEST OF POTTERY at Indian Market, in Santa Fe. She continues to expand her repertoire of designs and shapes. Every new piece of incised pottery by Jennifer is unique and special. As her images continue to change, she continues to use natural slips and pigments that make for wonderful finished work!
      I think we can all see why this piece just won BEST OF DIVISION at the Heard Museum Indian Market (March 2012) It is a fabulous example of the best work that Jennifer creates. Extraordinarily detailed, each of the four medallions features a different animal. There are coyote, mountain lion, bob cat, and kit fox, all in their natural surroundings. In the backgrounds there are exquisite fish, birds, plants, and gorgeous pink flowers. What is particularly nice is how well this display of incised “cats” so perfectly fit the shape of the jar. It is not too crowded, just the right amount of design work. What an exceptional new piece from Jennifer, exhibiting marvelous realism.

#SC3123 - 3 ½” high by 3 ¼” wide
Price: $2400 SOLD

          Russell and Jennifer collaborated on a jar that they entered for judging at Indian Market, 2012, and it won Best of Division in pottery. This is their next piece together. Russell coiled a lovely bird effigy figure with wonderful angles and ridges, showing the structure of the wings. This form is so hard to coil, but a challenge that Russell achieved. He was inspired by the old San Ildefonso great birds that were seen in the paintings of the early 1900s. He did the carvings, polishing and the firing, and then added the green turquoise Heishi, turquoise eyes and copper bands. Jennifer incised a beautiful bear with a trout in its mouth in the body of the bird. The colors are soft and muted. This bird is a wonderful form, and lends itself well for this joint effort. It is one of a kind creation by two skilled potters.

     Jennifer is very interested in different shapes and forms, and wanted to create a round tile. So using her bear imagery – the mamma bear and two cubs, she exquisitely polished this black disc. Notice how one cub is actually nestled into the bear’s chest.

#SC10122 - 2 ¾” wide
Price: $350

     This is the first time we have had this imagery from Jennifer, and it is quite remarkable. The main animal in the center of the plate is an ocelot. It is also known as the dwarf leopard and is a wild cat distributed extensively over South America and Mexico. They have been reported as far north as Texas. There are rare sightings in southern Arizona and New Mexico. The ocelot is similar in appearance to a domestic cat. Its fur resembles that of a clouded leopard or jaguar. Jennifer depicts it to perfection. She has added four bounding rabbits jumping above the ocelots. The colors, the incising, the polishing; everything about this plate is wonderful.

#SC5131 - 3 7/8” wide
Price: $800

     This is a delightful turtle lidded box. Ten turtle are incised on the side panels, along with four fish swimming by. The colors are bright and clear. The lid has a sculpted turtle on top, but in addition, Jennifer has incised eight dragonflies circling around the detailed turtle that has a colorful feather pattern on his back. It’s a great design.

#SC3125 - 1 ¾” high by 1 ¼” wide
Price: $480

     This is a lovely butterfly seed pot by Jennifer. One side shows a ruddy dagger winged butterfly with outstretched wings and the other shows a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell butterfly. A beautiful band of light pink flowers runs through the center of the pot. Nice detail work!

#SC5132 -1 ½” high by 1 ½” wide
Price: $525

     I love when Jennifer makes small intricate lidded pieces. This is such a nice shape, and the tiny sculpted bear on the top gives it such a complete feel. She fit nine swimming trout on the bowl; not crowded, just beautifully incised into a lovely composition.

#SC5133 - 2” high by 1 ½” wide
Price: $550

     We have had a black mamma and bear cub family, but here we have a new brown pair. The work on these two figures is beautiful. Each one has feathers, fish, and geometrics on their backs, Very soft in tones and hues, they are a terrific duo.

#SC3136 -
Mama bear 1 ½” high by 2 ¾” long
Baby cub 1” high by 1 1.2” long
Price: $220 for the set of two

     Congratulations to Russell and Jennifer for their BEST OF CLASS award on their bear lidded bowl at this month’s Heard Museum Indian Market. Here is an exquisite smaller example of their work together. Russell coiled the vase, then carved, fired, slipped, and polished the piece. Jennifer did the incised design work, and Russell added the strands of Heishi and the copper work. They have created an asymmetrical jar, with tremendous amount of texture to it. One side is designed to be quite flat. Russell has carved the mountains and the black mica bands of rain to give the vase a 3D effect. You can see an entire mountain landscape; forests, brush, antelope, snow capped mountains and a soaring bird. There are copper accents with two strands of Heishi and the addition of Russell’s trademark dots. Notice the beautiful varying shades of reds and greens on the bottom area, below the copper. It is truly wonderful.