Artwork copyright Debra Davis. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Debra Davis. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Magpies Looking Out, 2000

Debra Davis
American (born 1960)

Location: Betz Elementary, Cheney

About the Artwork

Magpies Looking Out is a linoleum block print by artist Debra Davis. It is composed to highlight radial symmetry, a visual concept she taught as part of a design course at Yakima Valley Community College. The imagery is inspired by the high-contrast feathers and long tails of the Magpie, a bird the artist observed while walking in Cowiche Canyon.

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

About the Artist

Northwest artist and naturalist Debra Davis creates paintings and sculptures that are strongly influenced by her summer job as a seasonal forestry technician with the U.S. Forest Service. A longtime resident of Central Washington, Davis received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Central Washington University in Ellensburg and taught art at Yakima Valley College.