|
Ted Harrison is
one of Canada's most popular and beloved artists whose
love of the land and people of the North has brought him
national acclaim. His distinctive painting style is
colourful and sophisticated, yet retains an innocent
charm. He is also an internationally recognized author and
illustrator of children's books and has spent much of his
career teaching art.
Edward Hardy
"Ted" Harrison was born on August 28, 1926 in the village
of Wingate in County Durham, England, along with his twin
sister, Algar. His father was a coal miner and his mother
a "miner's wife". Ted attributes his early interest in art
and design to encouragement from his parents, particularly
his mother who had an interest in fashion design and
photography. As a youngster, he spent many hours drawing
and one of his fondest memories is illustrating a book of
MG motorcars at the age of 12. His talents were also
recognized by grammar school teachers who encouraged him
to further pursue his talents at Art College.
In 1943, he
enrolled at the West Hartlepool College of Art and began
to study art and design in earnest, but like other young
men at the time, his education was interrupted by the
Second World War. Following military service he returned
to art school and, in 1950, received a Diploma of Design.
The following year he received a teaching certificate from
the University of Durham and began a twenty-eight year
career in Education. He taught at schools in England,
Malaysia, New Zealand and finally came to the Yukon in
1967 where he received a job to teach in "the land of the
mighty Moose – where weaklings need not apply".
He and his family
settled in Carcross and in 1970 moved to Whitehorse where
he taught art to secondary school students and adults
until 1979. After that time, he began to work as an artist
full time. In 1993, seeking a more moderate climate, he
and his wife, Nicky, moved to Victoria, British Columbia
where he currently lives and works.
Ted Harrison
credits the work of English painter Norman Cornish for
inspiring his life-long quest to paint people and places.
He was also profoundly influenced by the curvilinear
shapes of Maori art during his stay in New Zealand. He
greatly admires the work of Austrian painter Hundertwasser,
Japanese print maker Katsushika Hokusai and the American
painter Winslow Homer. But, the strongest influence on his
life and art was living in Canada’s northern lands.
His work can be
found in numerous private and public collections
throughout Canada and in England, Australia, New Zealand,
the United States, Germany and Japan.
In 1987 Harrison
received the Order of Canada for his contributions to
Canadian culture. He followed this up with an Honorary
Doctorate from Athabasca University in 1991, an Honorary
Doctorate in Fine Arts from the University of Victoria in
1998 and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from the
University of Alberta in 2005.
contact our
office to discuss selling your Ted Harrison artwork |
