Pablita Velarde Mineral Earth Painting of a pair of Roadrunners [SOLD]

This painting of a pair of roadrunners was made in 1995 by Pablita Velarde of Santa Clara Pueblo. To create this piece, Velarde used mineral earth pigments, which she made herself using natural materials. This process resulted in an earthy color palette and a somewhat sandy texture, which make sense given the origins of the materials.

Velarde's roadrunners are depicted in motion. One feasts on berries while the other walks toward a cluster of plants, possibly searching for its own meal. Traditional pueblo design elements appear within their wings.

Velarde created a detailed landscape for her roadrunners, with rocks, a number of plants, and a cliff's edge winding across the center of the image. Geometric forms in gray, tan, and white appear in the background, replacing the blue New Mexico sky with designs of the artist's own invention.

The painting is signed Pablita Velarde and dated 1995 in lower right. It is framed under glass and fabric matting in a wood frame.

Pablita Velarde (1918-2006) Tse Tsan (Golden Dawn) was an innovative and influential artist from Santa Clara Pueblo. Velarde was among the first full-time female students in Dorothy Dunn's art class at the Santa Fe Indian School, where she studied alongside Tonita Peña. These two women are regarded as the first Native American women to support themselves as painters, but it's not just because of this that they are remembered so fondly. It's because of the quality of their works that they have remained so visible in the many years since they have passed. Velarde passed away in 2006.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Pablita Velarde Mineral Earth Painting of a pair of Roadrunners is from the estate of an Albuquerque family

Recommended Reading: A MORE ABUNDANT LIFE-New Deal Artists and Public Art in New Mexico by Jacqueline Hoefer, Sunstone Press, Santa Fe

TAGS: Native American Paintings, Santa Clara Pueblo, Tonita Peña, watercolor, Helen Hardin, Navajo Nation, Pablita Velarde