Helen MacKie Beaver #2 Original Block Print
Updated August 7, 2026
| Lot number | 160 |
| Estimate | 250.00 - 350.00 CAD |
| Auction | Art Auction Tuesday August 11th |
| Date | August 11, 2026 at 6:59 PM EDT |
| Auction house | Erin Auctions |
| Location | Erin, ON |
Artist: Helen (Dora Helen) Mackie, RCA (1926–2018) Title: Beaver #2 Medium: Original block print (woodcut) on paper Edition: Proof Signed: Pencil signed lower right, H. Mackie Titled: Pencil titled lower left, Beaver #2 Inscribed: "Proof" lower centre Sight Size: 6 × 3.5 in. Frame Size: 11.5 × 9 in. An original proof woodblock print by acclaimed Canadian printmaker Helen Mackie, depicting a beaver—the iconic symbol of Canada's wilderness. Executed with expressive carved linework and bold graphic contrasts, the composition is complemented by a decorative lower register of stylized botanical and geometric motifs, a hallmark of Mackie's distinctive visual language. The proof impression highlights the artist's mastery of relief printmaking and her enduring fascination with the rhythms and interconnectedness of the natural world. Artist Biography: Dora Helen Mackie, RCA (1926–2018) was a distinguished Canadian printmaker, painter, and educator. Born in Tavistock, Ontario, she earned degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Queen's University and a Master's degree in Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of Toronto before pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking and Drawing at the University of Calgary in 1973. Mackie became one of Canada's foremost printmakers, working in woodblock, etching, stencil, and charcoal. Her imagery draws upon prairie culture, wildlife, and the natural environment, often incorporating decorative borders inspired by medieval manuscripts and symbolic design. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA), and her work is represented in numerous public collections, including the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Glenbow Museum, the Canada Council Art Bank, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, and the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.
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