A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison

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Pajama Press

Annotation: The true story of how a boy's passion for learning saved him from a life in England's coal mines and led him to a career as an internationally acclaimed artist and illustrator, famed for his images of Canada's north. Includes full-colour reproductions of Ted Harrison's art and a preface by the artist himself.

Genre: [Biographies]

Reviews: 1

Catalog Number: #6703749

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Pajama Press

Edition Date: 2014 Release Date: 08/17/21

ISBN: 1-7727-8226-2

ISBN 13: 978-1-7727-8226-4

Dewey: 759

Language: English

Reviews:

ALA Booklist

Best known for his colorful paintings of the Yukon, Ted Harrison grew up in England's drab, gray coal country. His military duties during WWII took him to India, Egypt, and Kenya. After the war, he taught art in Malaysia and New Zealand before he and his wife moved to Canada, where they fell in love with the Yukon. Inspired by the landscape, he moved away from his traditional, formal art training and developed his own distinctive style, notable for its simplified forms, unusual colors, and underlying sense of joy. Harrison has illustrated several books, including Robert Service's The Shooting of Dan McGrew (1988) and O Canada (1993). Ruurs and Gibson's beautifully designed volume combines a clearly written account of Harrison's life and work with photos of his early years and, later, many of his paintings. Seldom does an artist's biography for children offer so many beautiful reproductions of the subject's work. Pair this inviting book with Ashley Bryan's Words to My Life's Song (2009), another wonderfully visual celebration of an artist following his own path.

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ALA Booklist

Reading Level: 2.0

Interest Level: 2-5

Lexile: 870L

Guided Reading Level: V

Fountas & Pinnell: V

Victoria, B.C.Dear Readers,I am pleased to write the foreword to this book, which I hope will introduce many new readers and lovers of art to my life and work. During my career as a teacher, author and artist, I've had the pleasure of meeting students from different parts of the world. Through the years they have influenced my simple artistic style and helped bring my stories and painting to life. If I have inspired them to find their way as artists, I am truly grateful. I urge you to keep on reading, writing and painting. Develop your own style and keep it honest and true to who you are. Find inspiration in the world around you, and you will make the world a happier and more creative place.Affectionate regards,Ted Harrison

Excerpted from A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison by Margriet Ruurs, Katherine Gibson
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Now in an updated edition with revised back matter, the quintessential picture-book biography of Ted Harrison (1926-2015) Ted Harrison's brightly coloured and wildly imaginative paintings set in the Yukon have become synonymous with the North. His instantly-recognizable images of the land of the midnight sun hang in galleries and private collections around the world. But how did a boy who grew up in a drab mining town in northeast England become one of Canada's most beloved and decorated artists? A Brush Full of Colour is the story of a boy whose passion for learning would save him from a life in the coalmines. The books by the American writer Jack London and Canadian poet Robert Service fired his imagination with scenes of the wilderness and the Klondike Gold Rush. He trained as an artist, and a stint in the British Intelligence Service allowed him to travel. But Ted never stopped dreaming of the North, and when he saw an advertisement for teachers in Northern Alberta, he jumped at the chance to emigrate to Canada, where the biggest adventure of his life would begin. Margriet Ruurs and Katherine Gibson trace the life of Ted Harrison and the influences that would lead to his unique style as an artist. Filled with full-colour examples of his vivid art, and with a foreword written by Ted Harrison himself, this nonfiction picture book will provide inspiration for a new generation of budding artists.

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