Washington State Quarter Designs

Back in January of this year I decided that I wanted to create a design for the Washington State Quarter. Above is the final version that I sent to the Washington State Arts Commission. My design which you see here includes the following:

- The Coastal Rhododendron: Washington State’s flower

- The Western Hemlock: Washington State’s tree

- Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams: notable Washington mountains

- The Salmon: designed in the spirit of Northwest Native American traditions

- The clouds, rivers, and waters that keep our state “ever green”

[Each item was first drawn by hand, then scanned in, resized, and arranged on the quarter template.]

A few months later, Governor Gregoire established the Washington State Quarter Advisory Commission, whose job it was to sift through the designs they had received, comb through narrative ideas submitted online, and come up with about five narrative designs to send to the US Mint for drafting. Once those drafts come back, Governor Gregoire will make the final pick.

The final narratives announced on October 4, 2005 actually include bits of what I have drawn above... however, I was a little surprised to see that none of the design suggestions include trees!

True, a couple narratives include apples (I tried to get the apple in my design, but it just wasn't happening), but for being the Evergreen State, I would have hoped for at least ONE tree!!!