We will be making 2 small pots in this class. They will be Buff, polished in the ancient coil and scrape method of the Hopi tradition. The paints used will be bee balm and minerals.

The paints are from several natural sources: the black color comes from a plant, Beeweed that is boiled for several days until it reduces to a thick paste which is then dried and stored in little cakes called Guaco. The other colors are from red minerals and rocks which are ground into usable paints. The intricate designs are painted free hand using a yucca leaf brush. After a careful drying period, the pots are fired in the open air out on the Mesa, using sheep dung as the fuel.

Hopi Pottery is Polychrome, with three or more colors on a polished beige background. Designs are usually of eagles, parrots, roadrunners, migration patterns, eagle tail, kiva designs, rain clouds, lightening, water waves, and other life generating symbols such as corn.

There will also be an excellent museum tour on Friday.

• Paint ancient designs with yucca brush
• Traditional sheep-dung open air firing
• Hand-formed native clay
• Traditional vegetal and mineral paints

We will be working in Taos. You will be taking home two beautiful pots!