Art Chowder November | December, Issue 24 | Page 12

T
here is no shortage of natural
inspiration to draw from in the Inland
Northwest. Nestled between the coastal
and rocky mountain ranges are varied
topography and scenic attractions in
every season for outdoor enthusiasts.
Though we see much art showcasing
nearby national parks and the hundred-
or-so lakes we have in the region, we
shouldn’t overlook the beauty found in
the desert climate.
Nora Egger paints an intimate look
at life in the Columbia Plateau of
Eastern Washington. Her landscapes are
impressionistic, trying to capture the
arid feeling and colors of the Coulee
area where she was raised. She states
her favorite colors are sagebrush and
sand. “I paint the quiet of the land and
the muted pastels that are so abundant in
that area.”
13,000 years ago, during the Ice Age,
the cataclysmic Missoula Floods etched
barren bedrock to form steep-walled
coulees and left behind lakes, waterfalls,
and the basalt boulders strewn across the
land that coined the term Scablands.
The Columbia Basin, with its open skies
and vistas, is a haven to the people and
animals that inhabit it.
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ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE