Denise Chavarria was born in the early 1960’s and she is a full blooded Native American Indian from the Pueblo of Santa Clara-Tewa. She is the granddaughter of Teresita Naranjo. At age of 16, inspired by her mother, Stella Tafoya Chavarria, she continued the long lived family tradition of making pottery using ancient traditional methods.  Denise specializes in hand coiling traditional black on black Santa Clara pottery.  She gathers her clay from within the hills of the Santa Clara Pueblo.  Next, she cleans the clay, mixes, hand coils, shapes, sands, etches, and fires her pottery, outdoors, using horse dung.  Then, she adds a fine polish which she has mastered to perfection.  She signs her pottery as: Denise Chavarria, Santa Clara Pueblo.  Today she works full time making pottery and teaching her three children to pot. 

This vase features carved feathers on the neck and avanyu motif around the base. 

This jar features carved feathers on the neck and a smooth base. 

This bowl features avanyu motif on the top and carved feathers around the base. 

This bowl features carved feathers on the top and avanyu motif around the base. 

Melon Swirl Jar. 

This vase features carved feathers on the neck and avanyu motif around the base. 

Linda Askan - Santa Clara Pueblo 

 

Linda's native Tewa name, given by her grandmother Adelaide (Lala) Sisneros, is "Jo Povi" which means "cactus flower." Both her grandmother and her mother, Marie Sisneros Askan were instrumental in teaching Linda how to create pottery in the traditional way.  Her father is Andy Askan.  Linda digs her own clay, coils the shapes by hand, and fires them outdoors in a dung fire. She creates both the traditional red and black pottery; the color depends on both the clay slip she uses, and her firing methods. Linda has two daughters, Diana born in 1976 and Rose in 1978, they too know the art of traditional pottery making, and Linda’s sister Birdell Bourdon is also a potter. Linda is also related to the potters John, Joyce, Linda and Merton Sisneros, and Earlene Tafoya.

 

Black bowl with leaf motif. 

  Price $185       Stock # GS18

 

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Stacy Cata - Santa Clara Pueblo 

 

This bowl has a polished surface with no carving. 

  Price $80       Stock # GS20

 

 

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