About the Artist

(Born 1940) This Jemez potter was selected SWAIA Artist of the Year both in  2002 and 2010!

Taught by her mother, Perfectita Toya, Mary Small married into San Felipe. She is known for her polychrome greyware jars, bowls, wedding vases, some exceptionally large pottery with turquoise insets, storytellers, tree ornaments and miniatures.  Small won 1st place at Indian Market in 1981.

Small's preference for using a blue-grey slip together with polychrome designs.  The blue-grey slip is made from white clay mixed with bee plant pigment. Her firing takes place outdoors over cottonwood coals using no mechanical aids to determine temperature or timing.

This entirely popular potter also has worked as a hospital nutritionist who integrates prayer with making her pottery.  "You have to be at peace to do pottery," she explains. "You have to be in joyful in your heart. That's how pottery comes out to be beautiful."