Artwork copyright D. Maxwell Helppie. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Sunrise over the Cascades, 1996

D. Maxwell Helppie
(American, born 1926, died 2012)

Location: Lakewood Middle School, Marysville

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Late artist D. Maxwell Helppie created Sunrise over the Cascades after witnessing a brilliant summer sunrise from his studio on Whidbey Island, in northern Puget Sound. He stated, "There was an extraordinary cloud formation overhead, one that I had never seen in my entire life. Some kind of a convergence zone was in process and the clouds were dividing into two long wings. It was just marvelous. The sky was clear and as the sun continued to rise, it outlined the Cascade Mountain Range and filled the lower atmosphere with a luminous yellow, green glow. The clouds turned yellow and orange with white wispy fingers stretching out, as far as I could see, into a delicate light, blue sky."

Helppie noted that this unique sunrise was over too quickly for him to paint as it happened. To capture the scene, he first made a detailed drawing and took notes on the different colors he saw in the sky and clouds.

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

ABOUT THE ARTIST

The artworks of Dennis Maxwell Helppie (1926-2012) play freely between representation and abstraction. His art was influenced by the mysticism and culture of his Northern Finnish heritage. He noted: "To me, abstraction frees my creative abilities to continually explore new and different approaches to my work. It is very challenging and provides an avenue to stretch my imagination to its fullest."

Helppie grew up in the Detroit area. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps after high school from 1944 to 1947 and in the Army of Occupation in Germany. In 1951, he earned a Bachelors degree in art education with teaching credentials from Eastern Michigan University. In the 1950s, Helppie moved to Washington and taught arts and crafts at Lynnwood Junior High School and worked the afternoon shift at Boeing, where he was as an Inspector and Planner. In 1971, he earned a Master of Education degree in pyschology and counseling from the University of Washington in Seattle. He also taught business courses at Edmonds Community College for thirteen years. Helppie lived, worked, and made art in the Whidbey Island area for over thirty years.