Vickie Martinez
Santa Clara
Red Feather
Vase
12" H
x 8 1/2" D
Vickie Martinez “Koe-Sawe”,
Buffalo Steps, was born into the Pueblo of Santa Clara-Tewa in
1967. Vickie was inspired to continue the long lived tradition
of her ancestors of working with clay from her Mother, Barbara
Martinez. She has been making pottery since 1983, when she was
15 years old.
Vickie specializes in the
traditional handmade black and red Santa Clara pottery. She gathers
her own natural clay from the hills within the Santa Clara Pueblo.
Vickie cleans, mixes, hand
coils, shapes, carves, fires, and then polishes her pottery the
traditional way. Vickie was quoted as saying: “I find carving
a very challenging and rewarding experience, which I am enjoying
thoroughly.”
Like all good Santa Clara
pottery, the high gloss on this pot was achieved by polishing
the surface with a smooth stone...a very tedious process. Three
and sometimes as many as five layers of slip are applied to the
smooth dried work, allowing time between coats to dry, and then
followed by a lubricating coat of animal fat. The fat serves
two purposes, one, it allows the stone to slide smoothly over
the surface and two, it keeps the slip damp. Polishing stones
are highly treasured and usually passed on to descendants.
Vickie signs her pottery as:
Vickie Martinez, Santa Clara Pueblo. She is related to the following
artists: Barbara Martinez (mother), Glenda Naranjo, Frances Salazar
(aunts), Sammy Naranjo, Chris Martinez and Manuel Martinez (brothers).
Awards:
-Eighth Northern
-New Mexico State Fair
Publications:
-Pueblo Indian Pottery 750 Artist Biographies
