Helen West Heller (1872–1955) used strong patterns and thick lines to communicate her ideas graphically. Many of her prints convey narrative themes, reflecting her early work as both painter and poet. As she was born on a small farm in Illinois, it is not surprising that her subject matter often included figures interacting with nature. Mainly self-taught as an artist, she studied at the Art Students League in New York and the St. Louis School of Fine Arts. She produced mural series and prints as part of the Works Progress Administration/Federal Arts Project during the Depression. In her woodcut Reforestation three men are replanting small trees. This image is the middle section of a triptych called American Soil that featured agricultural workers on government New Deal projects.
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