Four Pictures by Emily Carr

Nikki Tate-Stratton writes children’s picture books and novels for
preteens. Her most recent novels are Jo’s Triumph, Raven’s Revenge,
and Tarragon Island. Her latest picture book is Grandparents’ Day.

Drawing on a range of resources about Emily Carr as well as selections
of Carr’s own writing, Four Pictures by Emily Carr presents four
vignettes about this famous Canadian painter. Though there is a brief
introduction that provides some basic biographical information, the
balance of the text is laid out in a comic-strip format.

The first vignette, “Cedar House,” describes a trip that Emily Carr
made to Ucluelet in 1899. Panels depict a meal she shares with
missionaries, a visit to the local school, Emily at work in the homes of
local residents, and her exploration and painting of the local scenery.
The second vignette, “Autumn in France,” begins with a rather
humorous incident in which a horrified Emily leaves a figure-drawing
class with tears streaming down her face. Readers also learn a little
about Emily’s relationship with her family, her activities in Paris,
and her reaction to an exhibition of Impressionist paintings.

A later period of Emily’s life is described in “Silhouette.” By
1927 Emily’s paintings are in storage and she has become known to her
Victoria neighbours as someone who is rather eccentric. A phone call
from Eric Brown, the director of the National Gallery of Canada, changes
everything. Emily’s paintings are shipped to Ottawa, the artist
travels east for the exhibition, and it is there that she meets Arthur
Lismer and A.Y. Jackson of the Group of Seven. A visit to Lawren
Harris’s studio transforms the way Emily looks at art.

In the final vignette, “Beloved of the Sky,” Debon shows the reader
an artist who is able, finally, to experience “the full, pure joy of
life.” Of course, no book about Emily Carr would be complete without a
reference to her love of animals. One moving scene toward the end of the
book describes a terrifying incident in which Carr’s beloved monkey,
Woo, is nearly poisoned after he eats a tube of green oil paint.

In addition to the comic strips that comprise the bulk of the book,
Debon includes brief introductions to each vignette that help place the
illustrated anecdotes into the broader context of Emily’s life. As
well, the title page for each vignette features a reproduction of one of
Carr’s paintings. The surprise here is not that Nicolas Debon chose to
use this particular format to celebrate Carr’s life and work, but
rather that other artist biographies do not. Highly recommended.