John Lawrence (illustrator)

John Lawrence (born 15 September 1933 in Hastings[1]) is an English illustrator and wood engraver.

He has twice won the Francis Williams Award for illustration (sponsored by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London), and twice been runner-up for the Kurt Emil - Maschler Award.[2] He has also published children's books in his own right including This Little Chick which was a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year.[3] He was master of the Art Workers' Guild in 1990,[4] and now lives in Cambridge.[5]

Education

Born in Hastings in 1933, John Lawrence was educated in Salesian schools, first in Burwash, Sussex then in Cowley, Oxfordshire, before attending Hastings School of Art (1951 - 1953). After National Service in West Africa he moved to the Central School of Art and Design (1955–1957)[4] where he was introduced to wood engraving by Gertrude Hermes.[6]

Teaching

In the 1960s he taught at Brighton School of Art and then as a visiting professor of illustration at Camberwell School of Art until 1993.

Until 2010 he taught at Cambridge School of Art, lecturing on the M.A. course in Children's Book Illustration.[2][4]

Illustration

What can they be doing, brother? An illustration from the Folio Society edition of Tristram Shandy by Lawrence

He has illustrated more than 200 books,[1] both adult and children's ranging from Shakespeare to Alan Ahlberg including the best-selling Watership Down by Richard Adams and has recently worked with Philip Pullman producing all the illustrations for Lyra's Oxford and Once Upon a Time in the North[2][4][7]

His work is represented in the Ashmolean, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Manchester Metropolitan University and Seven Stories in Newcastle.[8]

Further reading

  • Ian Rogerson, Through the Looking-Glass: the Illustrations of John Lawrence (2006)
  • John Lawrence (2002. Primrose Academy) (series: the Engraver's Cut)
  • Sketchbook drawings by John Lawrence with a recorded commentary by John Lawrence, compiled and edited by Tom Colverson ... (1991. Previous Parrot Press)
  • D. Martin, 'John Lawrence', in Douglas Martin, The Telling Line Essays On Fifteen Contemporary Book Illustrators (1989), p. 167-186
  • A Selection of Wood Engravings John Lawrence (1986. Camberwell Press) [Limited edition]
  • Peter Guy, 'The Wood Engravings of John Lawrence', in Matrix; 3 (1983 Winter), p. 21-41
  • Lesley MacDonald, 'Der Illustrator John Lawrence', in Illustration 63, 18/3 (1981 November), p. 83-88

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/l/10346/John+Wilfred.aspx Debrett’s People of Today, John Lawrence, Esq Profile
  2. ^ a b c "The Illustration Cupboard". Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  3. ^ Lawrence, John (2002). This Little Chick. Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763617164.
  4. ^ a b c d "John Lawrence Collection".
  5. ^ Stevenson, Robert Louis (2009). Treasure Island. Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-0763644451.
  6. ^ "Home". laurencesternetrust.org.uk.
  7. ^ "John Lawrence's 18th century illustrations". TheGuardian.com. 21 June 2003.
  8. ^ http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/faculty-of-arts-brighton/alumni-and-associates/associates-and-alumni/?a=12280 Lawrence | Associates | University of Brighton - Faculty of Arts