Snoqualmie Falls 3 ways: Local artists capture the attraction’s many seasons and moods

How well do you know Snoqualmie Falls?

Tourists come from across the country to see the powerful waterfall, one of Washington’s most popular scenic attractions. But insiders know you don’t truly know Snoqualmie Falls until you’ve seen it through the eyes of local artists at the Art Gallery of Sno Valley. Maybe you’ll notice a detail you’d never seen before, or a mood perfectly captured by the creator’s paintbrush.

“Snoqualmie Falls feels like a mystical, magical place. The view changes minute by minute,” says Cecelia Williams, a local artist and member of the Mt. Si Artist Guild.

The falls are a popular subject for Artist Guild members, and it’s inspiring to see the scene change depending on the artist’s hand. For some painters, just one canvas isn’t enough!

“I’ve done five oil paintings of the falls (so far). It’s a wonderful subject due to the endless variations provided by season, weather, time of day, and point of view,” says Gayll Morrison.

Online gallery

The non-profit Mt. Si Artist Guild started when 12 artists came together to nurture the arts, and has since grown to include more local artists, workshops, and a gallery in downtown Snoqualmie. This year they’ve launched an online store and virtual gallery tour to display and sell art in a range of mediums including jewelry, woodwork, ceramics, sculpture and paintings.

Artists explore a range of subjects, but Snoqualmie Falls is a perennial favorite.

“I was inspired by the beauty of the contrast of light and shadow the falls create against the wall of rock, along with the challenge of depicting the dramatic mist held sacred by the Snoqualmie Tribe,” says Sally Rackets, who depicted the falls in colored pencil. “I applied multiple layers of color to capture the desired effect, sometimes referred to as ‘colored pencil painting.’ I took my reference photo from the riverbed in the foreground, which added to the drama of the final product.”

Cecelia Williams used watercolor to capture the emotion of the falls, calling up a gentle, delicate moment.

“Every season shows a different mood from fierce and majestic in the winter to calm and serene during the summer. For this piece I wanted the feeling of lightness, tranquility, and simplicity,” she says.

Gayll Morrison has studied the Falls on many occasions, and for this painting she used glistening oil paints to depict the rich mossy air of the west coast.

“This is one of my favorites as it presents an unusual perspective of the falls and captures the Pacific Northwest essence of cool, wet, green and gray.”

Visit the gallery at 8130 Railroad Ave SE in Snoqualmie, Friday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. — with increased health and safety protocols in place. Shop the online store at artgalleryofsnovalley.com/online-store.html

Snoqualmie Falls; Colored Pencil by Sally Rackets. Visit the Art Gallery of Sno Valley in downtown Snoqualmie to see impressive works of art from talented local artists.

Snoqualmie Falls; Oil on Canvas by Gayll Morrison. The Art Gallery of Sno Valley has a virtual gallery tour where you can see local artists’ interpretations of the Falls and other familiar subjects.

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