Ravine

Item

Title
Ravine
Creator
Bill Colby
Artist ID
10
Date of Work
1970
Description
Abstract print in shades of green, brown, blue, and black.
Category of Media
Print
Media
Color woodcut on paper
Accession Number
1971.010
Location
storage - C2
Date Acquired
1971
Acquisition Method
purchase
Dimensions of Work
34"x32.75"
Frame Dimensions
43.25"x40.5"
Frame Type
Steel
Donor or Seller
Colby
Condition Statement
5/24/2022: Good condition. No noted issues at this time.
Artist Bio
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 90s.
Source: https://www.arts.wa.gov/artist-collection/?request=record;id=1848;type=701