A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison
by Margriet Ruurs (Author)
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.
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 wanted to become an artist and he went on to art school. A stint in the British Intelligence Service gave him the chance 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.
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, A Brush Full of Colour will provide inspiration for a new generation of budding artists.
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School Library Journal
Gr 3-6--An outstanding, well-organized biography about the life of Ted Harrison, one of Canada's most recognized and popular painters. The book chronicles the man's life, from his birth in the coal mining town of Wingate, County Durham, England, where his father gave him pencil and paper and told him to draw; to art school and military service post-World War II, which gave him the opportunity to see the world; to teaching art in Malaysia; and finally immigrating to Canada and combining all the designs and techniques he had seen around the world and finding his own style. Harrison vowed that his paintings would only depict positive images. He developed a colorful, vibrant technique that reflected the joys of life. While many love his work, others are more critical. However, Harrison remains upbeat: "'We must be who we are in everything we do, no matter what others say.'" This book is filled with quotes from Harrison and examples of his work, all demonstrating his love for vivid colors and flowing lines. VERDICT A joy to look at and an inspiration to read.--Paula Huddy, The Blake School-Highcroft Campus, Wayzata, MN
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Publishers Weekly
The landscape of the coal-mining English town where Ted Harrison grew up was a far cry from the paintings of colorful horizons that would define his art. Harrison developed his distinctive style after vowing to create only joyful images ("There's enough sadness and misery in the world without hanging it on our walls") and moving to the Yukon to teach Cree second graders. Ruurs and Gibson eloquently describe his artistic awakening ("His heart yearned to use the free lines of nature around him, teasing him with their changing colours and shapes"), while reader-directed captions encourage children to study and reflect on his work. Ages 5-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JNF006050 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Art | Painting
JNF025240 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | Canada - Post-Confederation (1867-)
