Untitled Painting of Three Birds by Santa Clara Pueblo Artist Helen Hardin [SOLD]

Santa Clara Pueblo artist Helen Hardin had a knack for creating beautiful depictions of animals.  Her birds have always been particularly popular among Adobe Gallery's clientele.  Looking back at previous listings, we see a whole flock of them.  Each one is different, but Hardin’s style was so well-defined that they all seem to fit comfortably together as a group.  With this untitled painting, we welcome three new members to the flock.

The birds Hardin created for this piece are lively and beautiful.  Their round bodies are light blue, and their tall, thin heads are bright red.  A darker blue appears as well, adding kiva step patterns to their wings.  Their eyes are wide, and their beaks are open, giving the viewer the feeling that the birds are conversing with or singing to one another.  A jagged, nearly bare tree trunk divides the image in half vertically. Horizontal branches emerge, giving the birds a place to rest.  A spiraling yellow sun symbol appears in upper right, directing its rays down toward the gathering.  The rich, textured background of red, yellow, and blue manages to match the energy and depth of the birds themselves.  It is evident that Hardin was enjoying herself when she created this painting, as it feels particularly spirited and joyful.

The painting is signed Tsa-Sah-Wee-Eh in lower right along with her hallmark spruce tree image.  It is framed in a simple wood frame, with a red stain that complements the painting’s colors.

Helen Hardin (1943-1984) Tsa-Sah-Wee-Eh or “Little Standing Spruce” was an innovative and influential painter from New Mexico’s 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 her an astounding body of work for her many admirers to enjoy.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Untitled Painting of Three Birds by Santa Clara Pueblo Artist Helen Hardin is from a private Colorado collection

Recommended Reading:

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

Defying Binaries: A Critical Examination of 'Old' Versus 'New' in the Art of Pablita Velarde and Helen Hardin by Jenna Kloeppe

Relative Links: Santa Clara Pueblo, Pablita Velarde, Native American Prints, Native American Paintings, Helen Hardin, Santa Clara Pueblo Painter