Artwork copyright George Stillman. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright George Stillman. Original 1980 installation. Photo courtesy of the artist (black and white photo).

Canada Geese, 1979

George Stillman
(American, born 1921, died 1997)

Location: Columbia High School, Burbank

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Canada Geese is a painting by late artist George Stillman. This realistic winter scene features intricate details and rich colors. Canada geese are commonly seen in the Northwest landscape. Perhaps these geese have stopped along their migratory path south for the winter.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Columbia School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist George Stillman (1921-1997) created paintings, prints and photographs that expressively explored pure abstraction and figurative imagery.

George Stillman grew up in California and began working with photography as a teenager. He was drafted into military service in 1942 and served until 1945. After his discharge, Stillman opened a photography studio and used the G.I. Bill to study art at the California School of Fine Arts. He was a member of the Sausalito Six, a group of early Abstract Expressionist artists working in San Francisco in the late 1940s. Stillman worked in photography during the 1950s in Mexico, Brazil, and Bolivia. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (1968) and Master of Fine Arts degree (1970) from Arizona State University. In 1972, Stillman moved to Washington State where he taught at Central Washington State University in Ellensburg until his retirement in 1988. His artworks are in the collections of the British Museum, London, England; the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA); and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C.