Elizabeth Medina, Zia Pueblo eagle dancer vase

Elizabeth Medina was born into the Jemez Pueblo in 1956 and she married into the Zia Pueblo. Elizabeth was inspired to work with clay by her mother-in-law, Sofia Medina. Elizabeth enthusiastically observed Sofia work hoping one day to achieve the same skills. Elizabeth specializes in the handmade traditional Zia pottery paired with traditional symbols and birds. She digs up her own clay and cleans, mixes, coils, shapes, fires and paints her pottery using traditional methods and with natural colors. Elizabeth has received several awards from the Santa Fe Indian Market, Eighth Northern Arts and Crafts Show, and the Colorado Indian Art Show just to name a few. Elizabeth has also been mentioned in several publications such as: Southern Pueblo Pottery 2,000 Artist Biographies, Talking with the Clay, Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery and Southwestern Pottery Anasazi to Zuni.

**Sources: http://www.pueblodirect.com/artist.html#Medina,_Elizabeth_(Zia)_