Date of Birth: 1975
Resides near Santa Clara Pueblo, NM
Monica is a young artist working in her familyÕs tradition of pueblo pottery. She has been working with clay creating vessels since she was 4 years old. She forms all of her pottery by hand using the native clay. She polishes her pieces in the traditional manner - with a river stone. Her designs are etched into the clay after it has been polished in a technique called scrifitto. Her pottery is fired in the outdoor oven, and smothered at just the right time for the smoke to penetrate the clay and turn it black. Occasionally she will use a second firing to bring out a rust color in the blackware. She incorporates traditional designs such as "Avanyu", the plumed water serpent of her culture's mythology, and the classic feather design. Monica's mother, Geri Naranjo has been her biggest influence, as well as her teacher. The two women share their tools, such as the polishing rock. Geri has a long list of awards, including Best of Miniature Pottery Division at the Santa Fe Indian Market twice. Monica has also won awards at prestigious juried shows, such as the Eight Northern Pueblos show and the Santa Fe Indian Market, in the Youth divisions.