Helen K. Tindel
Woman’s Work Oil on panel 36" h x 36" w
Her newest collection reflects
H E L E N K. T I N DE L
To view the work of Helen K. Tindel is to witness the transformative power of art in all its subtlety and grace. The roiling emotions and complex thought patterns she expresses through her paintings manage to convey a sense of lightheartedness and ease despite their inherent weightiness, rendering the very act of expressing them a catharsis of sorts that dispels the darkness and brings the natural world into balance. Tindel represents the fourth generation in a matrilineal line of exceptional painters: her great-grandmother was Pablita Velarde, her grandmother was Helen Hardin, and her mother was Margarete Bagshaw, all celebrated for their exceptional contributions to both contemporary and Native art. For Tindel this legacy was always a daunting one, setting standards and creating expectations that weighed so heavily on her that she initially chose not to pursue art at all.
On the Cover Toi et Moi Oil and graphite on acrylic with resin 20" h x 16" w Through time, marked by the background’s hash lines, this love story shows two people becoming intertwined — distinct, yet inseparable.
her growth as a painter and shows us how fear and negativity can be transmuted when examined through an artistic lens.
But that heaviness she carried within her could only be dispelled by honoring her own artistic leanings, which she discovered by accident at age 22 when her mother offhandedly suggested she calm her restlessness by drawing something on a panel. “As I began to draw, I was overcome with a sense of peace,” she says. The more she painted, the more she discovered that the act of creating art was liberating, that the burden of expectations disappeared when she began to explore her inner world and express it in a creative way. “I now honor my family’s legacy by being myself,” Tindel notes. Her newest collection reflects her growth as a painter and shows us how fear and negativity can be transmuted when examined through an artistic lens. Her gentle, airy evocations of nature, particularly flowers, are a commentary on the interconnectedness of all living things and underscore the intriguing combination of strength and fragility, attributes that coexist in the natural world and within ourselves. In Toi et Moi, Tindel shows us two flowers, each one different, as they intertwine with each other, becoming, as the artist says, “a love story of two people, distinct yet inseparable.” Another painting, Always? Always., uses the color red to symbolize love and romance, with delicate petals and a strong, straight stem depicting the blending of opposites. I am a Martian Oil with resin 13.5" h x 17" w Wildflowers appear in an otherworldly landscape, where space and life quietly intersect.
A more abstracted universe comes alive in Butterflies, celebrating the simultaneous resilience and fragility of some colorful butterflies as they navigate an impending storm that causes them to swirl randomly. Similarly, The Sound of Space evokes the creation of the universe and the vastness of space. “There are layers here,” Tindel says, “that represent passion, beauty, explosions, and peace. We are made of the same particles as the universe.” An otherworldly landscape emerges in I am a Martian, with abstracted wildflowers dancing to the rhythm of the cosmos in the realm where outer space and life quietly intersect. An earthier take on the theme is found in She Who Gave Me Life, where a warm palette illuminates blooms and buds in a graceful, feminine representation of both strength and softness. “Feminine and of the earth, she was my mother,” explains Tindel. Her artistic journey of self-discovery thus continues to bring us deep truths while emphasizing joy, connection, and the lightness of being.
Locked Up Oil on panel 30" h x 30" w
Before the Future Began Oil with resin 16" h x 36" w Under a deep, silent moon, luminous flowers bloom in the space between now and what comes next — capturing a moment steeped in quiet wonder, hope, and unfolding potential.
Flowers for Cy Oil on panel with resin 8" h x 8" w
The Sound of Space Oil, acrylic, sgraffito with resin 8" h x 8" w I think about the creation of the universe— everything that happens in the vastness of space and in the space between you and me. There are layers: passion, beauty, explosions, peace. We are made of the same particles as the universe. This is me.
Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana Oil on panel 36" h x 36" w
In All My Life, I Never Met Anyone Like You Oil on panel with resin 12" h x 12" w
She Who Gave Me Life Oil with resin 19.5" h x 20.5" w Beautiful and graceful, feminine and of the earth — she lives in memory as both strength and softness. She was my mother.
By the Hammer Oil and graphite on acrylic 40" h x 24" w Each graphite line recalls the strike of a hammer — honoring the strength, persistence, and care required to bring beauty into being.
Butterflies Oil, acrylic, sgraffito with resin 8" h x 8" w The combination of butterflies and storms symbolizes the profound connection between fragility and strength. Always? Always. Acrylic with resin 8" h x 8" w I will always love you. Always? Always.
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