2023
Featured Artist: Kerry Clavadetscher
Kerry highlights what she terms “the little people,” the many small animals that join us in our world. Shown in her art is a Savannah Sparrow perched on a tulips. And, yes, that really happens during our spring tulip bloom.
You can find more of Kerry’s work at: www.kerryclav.com
2022
Featured Artist: Jack Gunter
Jack captured the joy of spring and the blooming tulips in his original piece, using an ancient egg tempura technique. Jack is an, illustrator and videographer who works from his studio on Camano Island.
2021
Featured Artist: Jennifer McGill
Jennifer captured the beauty of the Skagit Valley Tulip fields in her painting entitled “Under a Tulip Moon.”
2020
Featured Artist: Jennifer Bowman IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
Created “Fourth of July for Tulips”
Jennifer created this bright, vibrant acrylic painting that literally explodes off the page with color. This is the second time Jennifer has painted a festival poster. She did a watercolor painting in 2004 depicting iconic Skagit Valley Tulip Festival scenes.
2019
Artist: Ben Mann IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
Ben’s bright, bold painting makes people smile. He works from his studio in Bellingham, sharing his creativity through painting and teaching. More of his work can be found at ben-mann.com.
2018
Artist: Melissa Jander IFEA Silver Pinnacle Award Winner
Melissa painted this lively piece using oils on a Masonite panel. She is a professional artist working from her Woodinville studio. For more information on Melissa and her work, visit www.melissajander.com.
2017
Artist: Trish Harding IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
Trish Harding works from her studio in Bellingham. She is fascinated by living in close proximity to an active volcano. She also loves the outdoors, tulips, birds, and bicycles, as can be seen in her poster.
2016
Artist: Sandy Haight IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
Sandy created this vibrant watercolor using a multi-layer technique featuring some favorite tulip varieties. She is a professional illustrator working from her Seattle studio. For more information on Sandy and her work, visit her website.
2015
Artist: Teresa Saia IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
Teresa uses various mediums in her artwork. The 2015 poster captures the late afternoon sky of Skagit Valley using familiar sights seen during tulip time. She is well versed in the sights of Skagit Valley as she spent part of her art career here showing in the Art in the Pickle Barn group for many years.
2014
Artist: Luke Tornatzky IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
Luke paints with a variety of mediums out of his Port Townsend, WA studio. Many of his images focus on water and nature, as does the vivid oil painting of Skagit Valley tulips that he created for the 2014 poster.
2013
Artist: Karen Sistek IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
Karen Sistek is a master silk artist. She uses specialty dyes made for silk which makes her images bright and vivid. She works from a Port Angeles, WA studio.
2012
Artist: Kate Larsson IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
Kate’s bright, bold watercolor shouts “spring.” The Gig Harbor artist layers her painting to create the vivid bold colors.
2011
Artist: John Ebner
John Ebner’s watercolor shows off one of his signature looks with his “rain people.” John specializes in painting images of the Pacific Northwest from his Camano Island studio.
2010
Artist: Bart Rulon IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
Bart’s image captures two of the favorite spring residents of the Skagit Valley—tulips and trumpeter swans. This painting spent 6 months on loan at a Wisconsin Birding Museum as part of a special exhibit. Bart works out of a studio on Whidbey Island.
2009
Artist: Andy Sewell IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
Andy Sewell worked to create a nostalgic image incorporating familiar elements that people still enjoy today. Andy is a watercolor artist. He works from a home studio in Idaho.
2008
Artist: Lee Mann IFEA Silver Pinnacle Award Winner
Lee Mann spent 40 hours capturing the image for the 25th anniversary poster. Lee worked from his studio in Sedro-Woolley, WA until his death in July 2011.
2007
Artist: Amy Melious IFEA Bronze Pinnacle Award Winner
Amy created this mix media piece by photographing over 600 individual tulips and then composing the piece with software. The butterflies in the image are species found in Western Washington. Amy works from her studio in British Columbia.
2006
Artist: Beki Killorin IFEA Bronze Pinnacle Award Winner
Beki’s watercolor image highlights the blue herons that dot the landscape in Skagit Valley. Beki works from her home studio in Mount Vernon, WA.
2005
Artist: Brett Varney IFEA Bronze Pinnacle Award Winner
This oil pastel painting shows Brett’s vision of the Skagit Valley heading south. Brett works from his studio in British Columbia. This poster is now out of print.
2004
Artist: Jennifer Bowman IFEA Bronze Pinnacle Award Winner
Jennifer created five watercolor scenes capturing iconic tulip festival images that visitors love to see—the tulip stack in Mount Vernon, the Rainbow Bridge in LaConner, the church in Conway, the Prater cabin at Tulip Town and the Windmill at RoozenGaarde. Jennifer works out of Anacortes; you can also find her painting the mural at Tulip Town during the festival.
2003
Artist: Randy Dana IFEA Bronze Pinnacle Award Winner
Randy used his classic technique in the studio to create a multi-dimensional photograph, using glass and multiple layers.
2002
Artist: Jerry Freiberg IFEA Silver Pinnacle Award Winner
This watercolor rendition of Jerry’s cat Oliver is well loved by tulip fans.
2001
Artist: Randy Van Beek
Randy’s vibrant oil painting showcases the beauty of Skagit Valley in the spring. Randy paints from his home studio in Bellingham.
2000
Artist: Randy Dana IFEA Bronze Pinnacle Award Winner
Randy composed this photo for the millennium. It was the first poster to feature the tulip bulb. At the time Randy worked at Red Robin in Seattle and photography was his hobby. He now works full time as a photographer, creating his pieces from a studio in Mount Vernon.
1999
Artist: Mary Gregg Byrne IFEA Bronze Pinnacle Award Winner
1998
Artist: Alfred Currier IFEA Gold Pinnacle Award Winner
This image captures the feel of working in Skagit Valley flower fields in early spring. Notice line of poplar trees that serve as a wind break in the farmland flats.
1997
Artist: Diana Schmidt
1996
Artist: Carolyn Oltman
1995
Artist: Jesus Guillen
This poster honors the farmworkers of Skagit Valley who harvest the tulip crop each year. Mr. Guillen worked out of LaConner where he lived until his death in 1994.
1994
Artist: Karen Mallary
Karen created this image that causes many fans to query where they can buy that stamp to mail their festival postcard. And, no wonder! Karen created a legacy of wildflower stamp images for the US Postal Service prior to becoming our festival artist. See if you can find the vase in the poster. We enjoy this legacy piece of Karen’s, who died in her home in Anacortes, WA in September 1995.
1993
Artist: Yvonne Davis
Yvonne captured a familiar visitor to the fertile Skagit Valley—the snow goose—in the 10th anniversary poster. Every year thousands of geese visit the valley during their annual migration.
1991
Artist: Larry Larson
Year two of Larry Larson’s trilogy.
1989
Artist: Donald Smith
This fanciful graphic rendition was a favorite at the beginning of the festival.
1988
Artist: Susan Hughes-Hayton with Molesworth and Associates
The young girl, a Skagit County native, in this photograph by Peeps is now grown with children of her own. This remains a fan favorite.
1987
Artist: Tori Lenze
A classic—this red tulip on black is now out of print.