Lois Gutierrez Polychrome Jar with Dancers

Lois Gutierrez and Derek de la Cruz’s pottery is distinctively different from the work of most Santa Clara Pueblo potters. According to Stephen Trimble in the book Talking with the Clay,“Lois and Derek have developed a distinctive slip by adding white to dark-gold clay to make a buff background color—Derek walks the hills in search of new clays. Lois says that he nearly always ‘sticks in an experiment whenever we’re firing to see how a certain color is going to come out.’” They have devoted a great deal of time and energy into experimenting with and utilizing various different pigments. This provides them with a wide-ranging palette for their intricately painted designs.

Lois is a daughter of Petra Gutierrez and sister to Gloria (Goldenrod) Garcia, Thelma Talachy, Lupita Gutierrez, and Minnie Vigil, all of whom are outstanding potters as well. Lois and Derek started working together in 1970.