Nicole H. Taflinger

“Season of Suffering” comes to an end in September 1947, just as the author sets sail for the United States. Although born in France, Nicole was forced to relinquish her citizenship there two years before, when she married an American, Captain Ancel Gordon Taflinger.

She spent a few years living on military bases with her husband. After Gordon left active duty, the former Air Force pilot attended the University of Chicago while his young wife studied at the city’s Art Institute.

In 1952, they relocated to Pullman, Washington, where Gordon embarked on his new career as a professor, and Nicole continued her education, eventually receiving her BFA and MFA from Washington State University. The couple raised a daughter and four sons in the rural community.

Shortly after arriving, Nicole organized a weekly painting group. She taught art and French to middle school students, and in the 1970’s, co-founded the NICA Gallery, which she managed for 25 years. Her influence has had a profound impact on the region’s art culture.

Primarily working in oil or collage, Nicole’s pieces were often inspired by her love of the natural world, especially wild flowers. She created hundreds of paintings featuring the Palouse region. Her artwork is widely collected and most often displayed locally, including at the Washington State University Museum of Art and The Bank Left Gallery in Palouse, Washington.