Elizabeth Medina facts for kids

Elizabeth Toya Medina was born on November 30, 1956, in Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico. She is a talented Pueblo artist who creates beautiful pottery. In 1978, she married into the Zia tribe. Following their traditions, she received special permission from the tribe to use Zia designs in her artwork.

Elizabeth started making pottery in the style of her home, Jemez Pueblo. She has even worked with her mother-in-law, Sofia Medina, who she says taught her a lot and inspired her work.

Elizabeth Medina's Pottery Style

Elizabeth Medina is famous for her colorful pots, especially large jars called ollas. She uses special cream, tan, rose-red, and orange colors on her pottery. These colors are similar to those her mother-in-law uses.

Favorite Designs and Art

Elizabeth loves to decorate her pots with designs inspired by nature. Some of her favorite pictures to paint include roadrunners, robins, and berry bushes. She also draws flowers, rain clouds, and rainbows. Sometimes, she adds very fine lines in a pattern called "fineline hatching." She even makes lids for her pots that look like turtles!

Occasionally, Elizabeth makes plain pots. Her husband, Marcellus, then paints them with pictures of Zia dancers. This shows how art can be a family effort.

How Pottery is Made

Elizabeth uses a special method to fire, or bake, her pots. She uses a mix of sheep and cow manure. To make sure the background of her pots turns out white instead of blue, the manure must be completely dry.

She also has clever ways to protect her pots from getting smoky marks during firing. She reuses everyday items like old bedsprings and car shock absorbers to keep the pots safe.

Zia pots are special because they are made with a hard volcanic rock called basalt. This rock is used to temper the clay, making the pots stronger. Elizabeth has a unique way of preparing this rock. She sometimes buries it in sand for a whole year to make it softer before she grinds it up.

Awards and Recognition

Elizabeth Medina's pottery is very well-known. Her work has been shown in many magazines, art galleries, and museums. Some places where her art has been displayed include the Native American Collections in Denver, Colorado, and the Adobe Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Her pottery is also part of important museum collections. You can find her work at the Peabody Museum at Harvard University and the Spurlock Museum at the University of Illinois. Elizabeth has received many awards for her beautiful pottery since 1984.