11.11.2011

Santa Clara Pottery

Susan fell in love with Santa Clara pottery while on her honeymoon.

The pottery is made from one long coil of clay which is wound into shape then smoothed over and carved. The designs are specific to the potter's family and reach back for generations. If Susan remembers correctly the clay starts out as red and turns black during the firing when the pot is placed in a pit and covered with dung.

Susan and the husband went to the Santa Clara pueblo in New Mexico and bought a pot from the person who made it. Afterwards they drove over to Abiquiu to see where Georgia O'Keeffe used to live but her house was surrounded by an adobe wall too high to even peek over. Instead, Susan settled for admiring the view that Miss O'Keeffe used to paint then left.