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Barbara's family traded the English fog for the wind-chill factor of Winnipeg,Canada when she was three-and-a-half. She survived the winters and Cream of Wheat, eventually moving east to Toronto to study art at the Artists' Workshop, the New School of Art and George Brown College. Her career started with commissions for the Toronto Star and has branched into the advertising, institutional and publishing industries. Barbara combines the natural quality of water-colours with the brilliance of water-colour dyes.
Barbara's humorous style has been said to portray 'animals with attitude'. She has many children's picture books to her credit commissioned by publishers such as Scholastic Inc., Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Oxford University Press, Clarion and Zonderkidz.
But she is equally at home illustrating people, children, mammals, reptiles, dinosaurs, fish, insects, spiders or birds for products, packaging, posters, t-shirts, magazine and newspaper features and spots and children's editorial and educational materials. She has recently worked for companies such as Reader's Digest Children's Publishing,Time Inc., McDonald's, National Wildlife Federation, Christie Brown & Co., Ralston Purina Canada Inc, Sears Canada Inc., Macleans, Chatelaine Magazine, CIBC World Markets and more.
Praise for EMMA AT THE FAIR
'Illustrator Barbara Spurll is known for portraying 'animals with attitude', and Emma is no exception. These brilliant watercolour illustrations complement the text perfectly. My favorite illustration is Emma's failed attempt to act like the winning turkey.' -Catherine Hoyt, CM Magazine
Praise for THE FLYING TORTOISE
'As good as the narrative is, however, Barbara Spurll's illustrations are the real strength of this book. Her animals are comic and expressive, her settings colourful and alive. Every misguided notion that passes through Mbeku's mind is written on his face.' -Janet McNaughton, Quill & Quire
PUBLISHED WORKS
Jodie Shepherd, I See You in the Ocean (Board Book), Reader's Digest, 2012
Jodie Shepherd, I See You on the Farm (Board Book), Reader's Digest, 2012
Jodie Shepherd, I See You in the Jungle (Board Book), Reader's Digest, 2012
Carolyn Jones, Theodora Bear, Orca Book Publishers, 2007
Steve Metzger, The Easter Bunny is Missing!, Scholastic Inc., 2007
Margriet Ruurs, Emma at the Fair, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2005
Kari Smalley Gibson, Mooki and the Too Proud Peacock, Zondervan Publishing House, 2002
Elizabeth MacLeod, The Wright Brothers: A Flying Start, Kids Can Press, 2002
Margriet Ruurs, Emma's Cold Day, Stoddart Kids, 2001
Kari Smalley Gibson, Mooki the Berry Bandit, Zondervan Publishing House, 2001
Elizabeth MacLeod, Lucy Maud Montgomery: a writer's life, Kids Can Press, 2001
May R. Berenbaum, Buzzwords, Joseph Henry Press, 2000
Margriet Ruurs, Emma and the Coyote, Stoddart Kids, 1999
Elizabeth MacLeod, Alexander Graham Bell: An inventive life, Kids Can Press, 1999
Margriet Ruurs, Emma's Eggs, Stoddart, 1996
Tololwa M. Mollel, The Flying Tortoise, Oxford University Press, 1994, Clarion Books, 1994
Betty Waterton, Mustard, Scholastic Canada, 1992
Tololwa M.Mollel, Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper!, Oxford University Press, 1991, Clarion Books, 1992
AWARDS
CAPIC (Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators) Double Vision winning entry, 2012
Chocolate Lily Award Nominee, Picture Book Category 2007, Emma at the Fair
Maxwell Award (DWAA), Humorous Art Category, 2006, Food Fight
Starred Our Choice Selection 2002, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Emma's Cold Day
2002 Shortlist, Ontario Library Association, Blue Spruce Award, Emma’s Cold Day
Shortlist, 2001 Mr. Christie Book Award, Emma's Cold Day
Shortlist, 2001/2002 Little Saplings Award, Emma's Cold Day
Shortlist, Tiny Torgi Award, Emma and the Coyote
Grand Prize, Ex aequo, 2000 Luxcanada, Illustration, Children's Book, Emma and the Coyote
Shortlist, 1999 Mr. Christie Book Award, Emma and the Coyote
CAPIC Award of Merit, self promotion category 1998 - Dinosaur in Jungle
Society of Illustrators 40th Annual Exhibition, International, Dinosaur in the Jungle
Official Selection, 1995 Silver Birch Award / The Flying Tortoise
Florida Reading Association Children's Book Award, 1992 / Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper!
First prize, Royal Ontario Museum ROMart Poster Competition, 1974
Barbara's humorous style has been said to portray 'animals with attitude'. She has many children's picture books to her credit commissioned by publishers such as Scholastic Inc., Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Oxford University Press, Clarion and Zonderkidz.
But she is equally at home illustrating people, children, mammals, reptiles, dinosaurs, fish, insects, spiders or birds for products, packaging, posters, t-shirts, magazine and newspaper features and spots and children's editorial and educational materials. She has recently worked for companies such as Reader's Digest Children's Publishing,Time Inc., McDonald's, National Wildlife Federation, Christie Brown & Co., Ralston Purina Canada Inc, Sears Canada Inc., Macleans, Chatelaine Magazine, CIBC World Markets and more.
Praise for EMMA AT THE FAIR
'Illustrator Barbara Spurll is known for portraying 'animals with attitude', and Emma is no exception. These brilliant watercolour illustrations complement the text perfectly. My favorite illustration is Emma's failed attempt to act like the winning turkey.' -Catherine Hoyt, CM Magazine
Praise for THE FLYING TORTOISE
'As good as the narrative is, however, Barbara Spurll's illustrations are the real strength of this book. Her animals are comic and expressive, her settings colourful and alive. Every misguided notion that passes through Mbeku's mind is written on his face.' -Janet McNaughton, Quill & Quire
PUBLISHED WORKS
Jodie Shepherd, I See You in the Ocean (Board Book), Reader's Digest, 2012
Jodie Shepherd, I See You on the Farm (Board Book), Reader's Digest, 2012
Jodie Shepherd, I See You in the Jungle (Board Book), Reader's Digest, 2012
Carolyn Jones, Theodora Bear, Orca Book Publishers, 2007
Steve Metzger, The Easter Bunny is Missing!, Scholastic Inc., 2007
Margriet Ruurs, Emma at the Fair, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2005
Kari Smalley Gibson, Mooki and the Too Proud Peacock, Zondervan Publishing House, 2002
Elizabeth MacLeod, The Wright Brothers: A Flying Start, Kids Can Press, 2002
Margriet Ruurs, Emma's Cold Day, Stoddart Kids, 2001
Kari Smalley Gibson, Mooki the Berry Bandit, Zondervan Publishing House, 2001
Elizabeth MacLeod, Lucy Maud Montgomery: a writer's life, Kids Can Press, 2001
May R. Berenbaum, Buzzwords, Joseph Henry Press, 2000
Margriet Ruurs, Emma and the Coyote, Stoddart Kids, 1999
Elizabeth MacLeod, Alexander Graham Bell: An inventive life, Kids Can Press, 1999
Margriet Ruurs, Emma's Eggs, Stoddart, 1996
Tololwa M. Mollel, The Flying Tortoise, Oxford University Press, 1994, Clarion Books, 1994
Betty Waterton, Mustard, Scholastic Canada, 1992
Tololwa M.Mollel, Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper!, Oxford University Press, 1991, Clarion Books, 1992
AWARDS
CAPIC (Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators) Double Vision winning entry, 2012
Chocolate Lily Award Nominee, Picture Book Category 2007, Emma at the Fair
Maxwell Award (DWAA), Humorous Art Category, 2006, Food Fight
Starred Our Choice Selection 2002, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Emma's Cold Day
2002 Shortlist, Ontario Library Association, Blue Spruce Award, Emma’s Cold Day
Shortlist, 2001 Mr. Christie Book Award, Emma's Cold Day
Shortlist, 2001/2002 Little Saplings Award, Emma's Cold Day
Shortlist, Tiny Torgi Award, Emma and the Coyote
Grand Prize, Ex aequo, 2000 Luxcanada, Illustration, Children's Book, Emma and the Coyote
Shortlist, 1999 Mr. Christie Book Award, Emma and the Coyote
CAPIC Award of Merit, self promotion category 1998 - Dinosaur in Jungle
Society of Illustrators 40th Annual Exhibition, International, Dinosaur in the Jungle
Official Selection, 1995 Silver Birch Award / The Flying Tortoise
Florida Reading Association Children's Book Award, 1992 / Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper!
First prize, Royal Ontario Museum ROMart Poster Competition, 1974
Contact Info
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Address:
160 Browning Ave., Toronto
Ontario, M4K1W5
Canada
Ontario, M4K1W5
Canada
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