Olla

Robert Patricio is from Acoma Pueblo and frequently collaborates on the pottery with his wife, Melody. Robert learned traditional pottery making when he was eight years old by watching potters work at Acoma. He and his wife specialize in traditional hand coiled and hand painted pottery. He gathers his clays, slips, and natural vegetation to begin constructing his masterpieces. Robert cleans his own clay of impurities, hand mixes with water and begins constructing pottery vessels from snake-like coils. He sets the pottery out to dry and then sands it for a smooth finish before he hand-paints his designs using natural colors from plants and various flowers. The designs on his pottery are re-created from ancient pottery shards found within the Acoma Pueblo. The final step is firing his pottery outdoors in the traditional way.