Greta Ruiz grew up near the small village of Guadalupita, in northern New Mexico. She has been collecting beads, wood, metal and old things as long as she can remember and has developed her own organic methods that are reflected in the variety of styles in which she works. She began seriously exploring clay in 1980 at Santa Fe Preparatory School, where she developed a lifelong love of clay and an interest in hand building. She continued studies in Claremont, CA with David Furman at Pitzer College, then traveled to Japan in 1984 for a year to study Japanese Art History, Fine Art and the Japanese aesthetic. Upon her return to Claremont she spent a year studying with Paul Soldner, where she learned more about combining texture, color, and shape to create integrated forms. In 2000 she joined Santa Fe Clay and began taking classes and workshops where she explored several hand building styles. She continues to live and work in her studio in Santa Fe, NM.