Artwork copyright Bill Colby. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Canyon Discovery, 1996

Bill Colby
(American, born 1927, died 2019)

Location: Maplewood Heights Elementary, Renton

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

'Canyon Rocks' is part of a series of woodblock prints by artist Bill Colby which use the grain of the wood to portray the texture and shape of rock formations. The series is based on sketches taken during the artist's travels to the canyons of the American Southwest and the mountains of northern Pakistan. The prints capture the importance of "reflection on the permanent wonder of nature's beauty."

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

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Tacoma-based artist and professor Bill Colby (1927-2019) created paintings, etchings and woodblock prints. In his own words: “Nature is a constant inspiration… Themes like rain, the forest and/or energy sources of nature are charged with expression of inherent power, yet peaceful.” He often uses texture and pattern, such as the wood grain in a woodblock print, to communicate form and movement.

Born in Kansas to a family of 11 siblings, Bill Colby showed an early talent for drawing. After high school in 1945, he served as a medic in Germany during World War II (1939-1945). He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Denver and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Illinois. Colby taught art and chaired the art department at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Western Washington, from 1956 until 1989. He also served as director of the university's Kittredge Gallery, led studies abroad programs, and contributed to the Asian Studies Program. In the mid-1960s, he was the director of Tacoma Art Museum. He continued to make art from his home studio into his nineties.