Original Painting “Trinity in Sand” [SOLD]

David Chethlahe Paladin was an extraordinarily talented artist.  Every painting by him that we have had has been so totally different from the others that one wonders if he can be ascribed a style other than very varied. 

While in college, Paladin learned to experiment with mixing clay, sand, and mud to develop different textures to fashion his art. This painting has most likely been created using a mixture of sand and paint. Three figures that he designated as "Trinity in Sand" are the predominate elements of the painting.  They are surrounded by a variety of shapes that fill the voids of the painting.  It is an amazingly beautiful mixture of texture, color and shapes. 

The myths and legends of Paladin’s youth inspired the subject matter of his paintings. On the Navajo Nation, spirit beings inhabit the hills, valleys and mountain peaks. This painting is perhaps Paladin’s visual interpretation of the spirits that roamed the landscape of his childhood.

Condition: excellent original condition

Provenance: from the collection of a Santa Fe family

Recommended Reading: Southwest Indian Painting: A Changing Art by Clara Lee Tanner