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)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via wire transfer or cashier’s check, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.