Featured Scenes:
This mural takes viewers on a journey through the seasons in the Okanogan Highlands. Starting on the south end of the building, viewers find themselves immersed in bright green foliage, with a blanket of wildflowers – it’s early summer in the highlands. Continuing toward the east, the changing hues give a clue to subtle changes in season, until suddenly you find yourself in the oranges and yellows and deep greens of fall — amongst forests of aspen, larch, and conifer. Turning the corner to the back of the building, fall turns to winter, where creatures of the snow bound through drifts and sit on the bare branches. Stepping back, you see huge vistas, and the familiar profile of distant mountains; stepping forward, you see the flora and fauna of the meadows, forests, and lakes of the Okanogan Highlands.
There is so much to see in this mural that wraps around all four sides of the Community Cultural Center of Tonasket — it is really best to see for yourself!
The Artist:
Andy Eccleshall, The Mural Works, Inc.
Andy Eccleshall resides and paints in Edmonds, Washington, and specializes in painting murals (though now retired from this work) and fine art, specializing in oil paintings. In addition to several murals in Tonasket, Andy’s work is displayed at art galleries worldwide, including the Seattle Art Museum.
This mural was the beginning of a long and fulfilling relationship between Andy Eccleshall and the community of Tonasket. He said, “OHA should be congratulated for bringing these images to downtown Tonasket, I hope this mural will help inspire appreciation of the magnificent natural beauty of the Okanogan Highlands.”
Learn more about Andy Eccleshall, his story, and his art at www.andyeccleshall.com
One of Andy’s artistic specialties is painting skies. On bluebird days in Tonasket it is hard to tell where the mural stops and the sky begins!
Another one of Andy’s specialties is the trompe d’oeil technique. Here, on the north side of the CCC, Andy paints a doorway to the highlands, inviting passersby to step into nature.