"Mineral Earth Painting of a Roadrunner" c. 1950s by Pablita Velarde

Depicted as the central figure in this composition is an abstracted rendering of a Roadrunner, an iconic symbol here in New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. The background's cream, dark gray, and light gray tones allow the bird to take center stage. These muted background hues contrast beautifully with the terracotta red filling the bird, prompting the artist to paint the frame in a complementary neutral tone. General plant motifs frame the right side of the Roadrunner, enhancing its connection to the natural world. 

While Velarde learned basic Flatstyle techniques early on, she officially perfected her unique mineral earth painting method during the mid 1950s. She ground rocks, minerals, and natural clays using a traditional metate and mano (a traditional two-piece stone tool set used to grind materials), mixed them with a binding agent, and applied the textured pigments onto Masonite boards. This painting is signed Pablita Velarde in the bottom right corner. 

About the Artist: Pablita Velarde

Best known for her earth paintings, Pablita Velarde (1918-2006) Tse Tsan ("Golden Dawn"), used mineral and rock elements, which she ground on a metate and mano until the result was a powdery substance from which she made her paints. She painted almost exclusively on paper, and used watercolor and casein in addition to the earth pigments.

Pablita Velarde was born at Santa Clara Pueblo (Kha'p'oo Owingeh) during a time when female painters did not exist. For a long time, painting was a profession in which only men could partake; historically and prehistorically, men painted the walls of ceremonial buildings known as Kivas. Women were expected to make pottery; however, alongside Tonita Peña (Quah-Ah) at the Santa Fe Indian School, Velarde helped change these norms. Her daughter, Helen Hardin (Tsa-Sah-Wee-Eh), was also a well-established painter who took a different direction than her mother and her mother's peers, creating more contemporary work that depicted Native American symbols with striking geometric patterns. 

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: This painting "Mineral Earth Painting of a Roadrunner" c. 1950s by Pablita Velarde is from the collection of a client from California.

Recommended Reading: "Woman's Work": The Art of Pablita Velarde by Sally Hyer, The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian

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