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.
     When Autumn creates an all black pot – just simple and elegant and so deeply carved, it is often a real piece of beauty. Here is a perfect example of her black ware – dragonflies and cattails – all beautifully carved and polished. The small bowl flows with movement from the top to the bottom!

#SC395 - 3" high by 4 1/2" wide
Price: $3200

     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 wok 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.
     This is a PERFECT miniature vase. Just look at the precision of Dolores' work. Each image - be it a feather, or step design, or clouds, - each and every element she uses is painted to perfection. No wonder she has won so many awards and received such accolades for her work. She is utterly fabulous.

#SC0823- 2 1/4" high
Price: $795

      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.
     This new plate combines the polychrome turtles and dragonflies. The incising is so exacting and precise. The red tones blend so nicely with the matte background of the natural clay. Debra explained to me that you can see what directions the turtles are swimming, and notice that the dragonflies are guiding them in those same directions. Look closely at the stair stepped pattern on the natural clay, as it moves around the whole plate, bordered by the solid mica red rim. This is a beautiful plate.

#SC389 - 7 1/2" wide
Price: $1250

     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.
     I had requested fish, she took off on that theme, and here is the finished concept. It is magnificent. The flat surface of this bowl shows off the composite of the fish so well. The polychrome bowl has beautifully carved and multicolored fish. Grace has added deep carved waves and spirals on the bottom with polished swirls and other geometric patterns. There are both soft curves, and deep angles, and contrasting matte and polished areas on the bowl. She even has bubbles coming out of the mouths of many fish. Grace explained to me that when she used this green slip, she had no idea what tone it would actually fire- somewhere in the green and brown family. Well – the colorations are marvelous. The black and white fish (the black coming from bee weed) are stunning. There are over eleven fish on this remarkable bowl. One can see why she was honored last summer with the SWAIA Lifetime Achievement Award.

#SC1085 - 2 1/2" high by 5" wide
Price: $6500 SOLD

     So many people admire and have even tried to duplicate Grace’s special technique she called the “basket weave” Carving and painting the piece to actually resemble a basket, she adds such depth to the designs with this application. A stately buffalo adorns the front of the pot in a medallion, surrounded by the basketweave. The back portion is carved, and features polished areas, matte areas, and micaceous work. It is a lovely composition.

#SC1108 - Basketweave/buffalo
2 7/8" high by 3" wide
Price: $2900

     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

     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.
     You can see the influence of the Northwest Coast on this marvelous large bowl. The trademark asymmetrical lip is there, polished to a high brown sheen. But then Jody has incised flowing bird images around the entire pot. The tones on the piece range from dark brown to tan. This pot is a true work of art.

#SC377 - 8" high by 9 1/2 " wide
Price: $4550

     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: $1100

     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 one of Goldenrod's best designs; the plumed water serpent. Carved and painted so well, the additional red color really makes this miniature bowl jump out at you. Great work!

#SC856- 1 3/4 " high by 2 " wide
Price: $395

     Sharon Garcia is the granddaughter of the esteemed Santa Clara potter Christina Naranjo. Sharon's mother passed away while Sharon was quite young and it was Christina who raised her and had a profound influence on her life. Sharon learned to pot from Christina and when Christina died in 1980 Sharon began to pot full time in order to feel connected to her. Sharon has become a fine potter working in styles ranging from classic undecorated jars to traditional carved Santa Clara pottery.
     In July 2003, Sharon won the "Best of Show" award at the Eight Northern Pueblo Show, winning the highest possible award in the show. She says, "I feel very lucky to be able to earn money doing what I love.
"      Here is another example of a black polished water jar, new from Sharon. This one shows the scalloped lip with the impressed ribs on the neck of the jar moving down to the double shoulder area. It is a great shape.

#SC7711 - 7 1/2" high by 6" wide
Price: $500

     Gary is the son of Dorothy and Paul Gutierrez who are well known for their small, black storytellers. His work is a blend of the traditional and the contemporary. He has won first and second place at Indian Market on several occasions as well as Best of Division in figurative pottery. His figures always have difficult and complex surfaces to polish so Gary uses pencil-shaped stalagtites as polishing stones. The finish he achieves using these stones is remarkable. The pieces have a very high sheen. He has been published in Gregory Schaaf's Southern Pueblo Pottery; Rick Dillingham's Fourteen Pueblo Families; Lillian Peaster's Pueblo Pottery Families; Storytellers and Other Figurative Pottery by Douglas Congdon-Martin;and Southwest Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni by Hayes and Bloom.
     This coiled and polished black bear is amazing; look at the muscular definition he achieves on the body. It is so well polished, simply gleaming!

#SC71018 - 3 1/2” wide by 1 ½” high
Price: $150 SOLD

     Lois Gutierrez learned to make pottery from her mother, Petra Montoya Gutierrez, who had married into Santa Clara from Pojoaque. Her sister, Gloria (Goldenrod) is known for her small contemporary sgraffito pieces. But Lois makes large pieces, reinterpreting the polychrome design making. She sometimes draws Koshare clowns, butterflies, and Pueblo scenes. Her husband Derek helped her gather her clay. He was quoted in Talking With the Clay as saying, "If you look hard enough you can find clay here and there all over the mountains, but you got to look for it. It doesn't just jump out at you. It is beautiful when you dig in it. The white clay looks like candy, white chocolate. When you're digging in it, you don't want to stop, it feels so neat." He sure does make it sound inviting!
     Lois developed a very distinctive slip - by adding white to dark gold clay to make a buff colored background. Lois has said, "My favorite part is firing. When it fires good, you know that your time and hard work has been worth it."
     This beautiful bowl shows off Lois’ unique slip work so well. The tan background is so warm and goes so well with the deep reds and blacks on the deer. The deer on this piece are powerful, with their antler extending up toward the round opening. Notice how the heartline points toward the checkerboard pattern inside the deer. Lois’s work is so unique and her style is completely her own.

#SC6926 - 5 ½” high by 8 ½” wide
Price: $1200

     Whimsy! Good humor! Great painting! FUN! This is called “Fighting the Raccoon for the Fish “ The Koshare clown seems to have wanted those fish for himself - but the raccoon is interfering – big time ! What a well constructed and well conceived bowl by Lois.

#SC6927 - 4 ½” high by 4” wide
Price: $395

     This is one of our favorite jars by Lois…ever! It has a totally new component to it – it is both painted polychrome painted and red carved! The balance of these two design elements is so visually appealing. Look at the beautiful use of color tones in the families of pheasants prancing around the top of the pot – and then the soft, deep red carved avanyu on the bottom of the jar. The reds and tans from the polychrome are recreated in the plain polished areas of the serpent and its border. They just work so well together. This is the first time we have had both painted and carved from her on the same vessel, and we love it.

#SC51014 - 8” high by 10” wide
Price: $1650 SOLD

     Dragonflies and flowers- one of the painted images that we so enjoy by Lois. This vase, made in 2000 has two dragonflies and eight flowers. A traditional painted border is nicely placed on the lowered shoulder of the vase. The polychrome images on this piece in tones of grays, tans, light orange and terra cotta give this piece a particularly soft and warm glow.

#SC4106 - 6” high by 5” wide
Price: $595

     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

     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!
      Once before, Jennifer made a piece that we called a “candy dish” We loved the shape, with a fitted lid, and asked her to make one like it. This time she has covered the bowl with a large herd of buffalo. In fact, there are over twenty buffalo in this magnificent group. Look at how precise the incising appears; the buffalo are so lifelike. It is remarkable what realism Jennifer can produce. The lid, with its pair of buffalo and background scenery is stunning.

#SC996 - 2 1/8" high by 4 1/4" wide
Price: $2100

     This new lidded quail bowl is gorgeous. It depicts an entire desert scene, Look how well the cacti are painted, with the pink flowers, and the branches on the other plants.  The quail themselves are very realistic, and I love the sculpted quail on the top of the pot!

#SC7103 - 3 1/4" high by 2 1/8" wide
Price: $680

     We adore Jennifer’s mini boxes. She does such nice work on these tiny pieces. This is a dragonfly AND butterfly box. The colors are great, and the images are precise. Wonderful for the mini collector!

#SC7104 - 1 1/8” high by 1 1/8” wide by 1 1/8” deep
Price: $380 SOLD

     Many outdoor mountain people request pots with deer on it. Jennifer incises this image in expert fashion. This is a lovely seed pot with deer, aspen trees, and deer tacks on the side. In her special way, she has done particularly precise incising.

#SC989 - 2 1/2" high by 2" wide
Price: $900