Mineral Earth Painting of a Family of Roadrunners [SOLD]

After meeting Dorothy Dunn at The Studio at the Santa Fe Indian School, Pablita Velarde was convinced that a career in painting was her calling. She had been inspired by watching Tonita Peña pursue an art career and was actually encouraged by Peña to pursue art as a career.

We are fortunate that she pursued the career of her choice. We now have a collection of art that is truly inspiring. She revived the art of painting with earth minerals. Preparation of the paints was a laborious task that took days of grinding pigments on a metate using a mano.

Velarde, over her career, produced serious ceremonial subjects and light-hearted, almost comical, paintings such as this family of Roadrunners. She must have enjoyed the time spent painting these animal figures as she did paint a number of them.  This is one of the smaller ones she made, measuring just slightly less than 6 by 9 inches.

The painting is signed in lower right Pablita Velarde and dated 1983.  It is framed and ready to hang and enjoy.

Condition: appears to be in original condition

Provenance: from an extensive collection of a gentleman from Santa Fe

Recommended Reading:

 "Woman’s Work -- The Art of Pablita Velarde" by Sally Hyer.

 "Pablita Velarde -- Painting Her People" by Marcella Ruch, et al.