Helen Hardin Aquatint Etching titled "Guardian of the Mist"

Guardian of the Mist is an aquatint etching by Helen Hardin of Santa Clara Pueblo. Printing for this edition began in October 1980 and was completed in December 1980, at El Cerro Graphics in New Mexico. Ricardo C. Ximenes and William Boyson handled the printing. An edition of 60 and additional proofs were created.

The print documentation provides a detailed description of the process: "A one color image was partially drawn on Mylar and transferred to a Copper plate where the remainder of the image was drawn and then etched in ferric chloride. A sprayed aquatint was then etched in three tones. The marbled asphaltum ground background was added and etched last."

A circular feather pattern design occupies much of the image, reaching to under an inch away from the edges of the impression. The feathers stop repeating in the upper right quadrant, where a bird head emerges from behind the primary design. Burnt Sienna was the only color used for the print, which allows the interesting textural variations to catch the viewer's eye.

The etching is signed Tsa-Sah-Wee-Eh and marked A/P, which specifies that this is an artist proof, limited to 6 copies for the personal use of the artist as she wished.

Helen Hardin (1943-1984) Tsa-Sah-Wee-Eh or "Little Standing Spruce" was an innovative and influential painter from Santa Clara Pueblo. Hardin was born in 1943 to Santa Clara Pueblo painter Pablita Velarde and Caucasian civil servant Herbert Hardin. Inspired by her mother, she began creating and selling paintings as a teenager. She went in a different direction than her mother and her mother's peers, creating more contemporary works that depict Native American symbology with striking geometrical patterns and abstract imagery. She died of cancer in 1984, leaving behind an astounding body of work for her many admirers to enjoy.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Helen Hardin Aquatint Etching titled "Guardian of the Mist" was in the collection of the artist.

Recommended Reading:  Changing Woman: The Life and Art of Helen Hardin by Jay Scott

TAGS: Helen Hardin, Santa Clara Pueblo, Pablita Velarde, Native American symbols, Native American Paintings, Acoma Pueblo