Ted Harrison, the painter who illustrated Sam McGee and Dan McGrew

The renowned painter Ted Harrison depicted the shades of the Yukon sceneries with swirling lines and brightly coloured of purple mountains, yellow lakes or even pink northern lights, using all the tone of blue to illustrate the various colours of the ice and wild landscapes of the Canadian North.

His style using simple forms, house as cabin, figures playing or hunting almost childlike, create a joyful atmosphere of dream. A way of depicting life partly motivated by the native pupils uninspired by the urban life shown in their school’s books when he taught them art.

 

 

Harrison’s work appeared in many book

and especially in two books

illustrating the famous poems

of Robert W. service:

- The Shooting of Dan McGrew,

Kids Can Press (June 30th, 1986)

- The Cremation of Sam McGee,
Kids Can Press (July 1st, 2006) 

Both books with Harrison’s paintings illustrate the fascinating landscape where the first pioneers were dreaming of gold and fortune. This book is a great way for sharing with children the tale of the gold rush, however, this book will be a delight for both old and young alike.

 

Born in 1926, in the Scottish village of Wingate in the country of Durham, Harrison traveled to several places such as New Zealand before moving to the Canadian North where he taught art at the elementary school.

In fact, Harrison responded to an advertisement in 1967, looking for a teacher to respond “the call of the moose” at an isolated hamlet in Northern Alberta. A year, he settled in Carcross and moved to Whitehorse in 1971 where he became familiar with Robert W. Service's poems and wished to illustrate them. Quickly, he started to show his paintings.

 These experiences definitely convinced him to abandon the classic style, a choice which caught the attention of a growing audience. Harrison painting works became internationally recognized. 

Harrison dies last January 16, 2015 (on the day of Robert W. Service birth anniversary as a nod to the poet)  at the age of 88 at Victoria where he retired with his wife in 1993.

 

Besides of having illustrated Robert W. Service’s poems, Harrison wrote children’s books and designed a three dimensional background illustrating the northern sky at the entrance of the Yukon pavilion of Vancouver’s expo 86 and a Canadian Christmas post in 1996. 

“Art has to be shared to be useful” 

as Ted Harrison used to remind.