John Lawrence (illustrator) facts for kids
John Lawrence is a famous English artist. He was born in Hastings on September 15, 1933. He is well-known for his amazing illustrations and for making pictures by carving wood, a technique called wood engraving.
He has won important awards for his artwork. For example, he won the Francis Williams Award twice for his illustrations. This award is supported by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He was also a runner-up twice for the Kurt Emil - Maschler Award. John Lawrence has also written and illustrated his own children's books. One of his books, This Little Chick, was even named a "Best Illustrated Children’s Book" by the New York Times Book Review. In 1990, he was the leader of a group called the Art Workers' Guild. Today, he lives in Cambridge.
Early Life and Learning
John Lawrence was born in Hastings in 1933. He went to Salesian schools, first in Burwash, Sussex, and then in Cowley, Oxfordshire. After that, he studied art at the Hastings School of Art from 1951 to 1953.
After serving in the military in West Africa, he continued his art studies. From 1955 to 1957, he attended the Central School of Art and Design. There, a famous artist named Gertrude Hermes taught him how to create wood engravings.
Sharing His Art Skills
In the 1960s, John Lawrence began teaching art. He taught at the Brighton School of Art. Later, he became a visiting professor of illustration at the Camberwell School of Art. He taught there until 1993.
He also taught at the Cambridge School of Art until 2010. He gave lectures for students studying for their Master's degree in Children's Book Illustration.
Amazing Book Illustrations
John Lawrence has illustrated more than 200 books! These include books for both adults and children. He has worked on books by famous writers like Shakespeare and Alan Ahlberg.
Some of his most well-known illustrations are for the best-selling book Watership Down by Richard Adams. More recently, he has worked with author Philip Pullman. He created all the pictures for Pullman's books Lyra's Oxford and Once Upon a Time in the North.
You can see his incredible artwork in several important collections. His illustrations are kept at the Ashmolean museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Seven Stories in Newcastle upon Tyne.
