Skip Whitcomb (American, B. 1946) "Columbia River Gorge" Signed lower right. Original Watercolor painting on Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting originally appeared on the Fleetwood First Day of Issue 19c Columbia River Gorge Postal Card issued May 9, 1992.

Born in the Canadian Rockies, it courses through Washington state and coils around to form the Washington-Oregon boundary before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. There are many adjectives to describe the Columbia River, but "placid" and "meandering" are not applicable. The Columbia is the largest North American river -- in volume -- which discharges into the Pacific, with a drainage basin of more than 250,000 square miles and a total length exceeding 1,200 miles. It feeds tributaries such as the Kootenay, Snake and Willamette Rivers and serves as one of the world's most prolific producers of hydroelectric power. It also slices through some of the most majestically beautiful countryside in North America. One such locale is the Columbia River Gorge. Lewis and Clark trekked through this 60-mile canyon on the last leg of their trailblazing exploration of the Pacific Northwest. What grandeur they encountered: sheer basalt cliffs shooting 4,000 feet above the shorelines; lacy waterfalls cascading down steep rock faces; churning rapids whipping the river into a turbulent frenzy; the foothills of imposing peaks standing sentry on both the north and south banks. Today visitors to the Gorge gaze upon these breathtaking vistas and display wonder, amazement and awe -- emotions which surely must have overcome both Lewis and Clarke and the pioneers who followed in their wakes.

Image Size: 18 x 15.5 in.
Overall Size: 20 x 17.5 in.
Unframed.
(B13723)

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20 x 17.5 in