Each piece of pottery is meticulously crafted by hand and hand-formed using native shale clay, mined from our clay mine in Acoma Pueblo. The clay undergoes a series of drying stages to achieve the desired consistency and texture. Once the clay is ready, I can begin forming each piece using either the coil method or the pinch method. After each piece dries, I lightly clean it with water to achieve a smoother texture and then shine it with a white clay slip, also mined from Acoma. After each pot is cleaned and smooth, I can start painting it. The paint used is an iron oxide paint mixed with boiled wild spinach. For the colors, I use natural sand pigments mixed with white clay slip.