Earth Mineral Painting of “Mother Roadrunner and Baby” [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 pair of Roadrunners. She must have enjoyed the time spent painting these animal figures as she did paint a number of them.

Condition: The painting is in original condition. It is in the original frame.

Provenance: an Albuquerque gentleman

Recommended Reading: American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas by Dorothy Dunn