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Alan E. Cober, a very close friend of mine, often spoke of style in art as "the use of all experiences in one's life
informing the artist's works." Those early occurrences, when I was growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the 1940s and 1950s, have brought me to realize (while reflecting) that they were my
helping hands. My life experiences have guided, as well as given passion and voice to, the breath of my work today.
My growing-up years were lived out in the company of a loving and encouraging mother who spoke mostly with her eyes. A look could tell
you just what she wanted you to hear. My father also did not share verbally what he was thinking. Instead he would instruct by example. From him, I learned self-reliance and the importance of loving
one's work.
The house we lived in was very small, trying its best to accommodate six children, all of whom were vying for attention. I would sit,
watch, and draw. I have found that I enjoyed the act of putting marks on paper and seeing an image unfold. Drawing also gave me a way of creating my own space, quiet time, and a sense of self. Where the
need to interpret what I saw, felt, and imagined, came from, I am not sure.
Our immediate neighbors were African Americans. We inhabited a dead-end street, and most of my social life took place within one block.
Living on Earlham Street forced us children to be inventive in our play. We made many of our toys. Our games were hand-fashioned by using what was available to us. The fire escapes became the basketball
hoop. We even practiced fly-fishing by using an old tire as the target. We would venture out of our block to shop, attend school, and later, to seek work.
There were mentors throughout my life. At age twelve, I had a newspaper stand and I would take a drawing pad to work with me, sketching
people as they waited for a bus or trolley. John Liney, the cartoonist of Little Henry at the time, would pass the newsstand on his way to his studio. He took notice of my drawing and invited me to his studio. There I learned about the possibility of making a living creating pictures. What an eye opener! I visited John's studio often and we became friends.
Drawing helped me expand playtime into an imaginary world. Our home, with one bedroom for my two brothers and me, had no boundaries. At
night I would lie awake and listen to my parents and their friends share stories. I am sure it is from these stories that Brer Rabbit and I became friends and that I was introduced to the African
American tall-tale hero, John Henry. Good music was also a continuous part of our environment. As a result, I fell in love with jazz and blues. Over the years, music has become an important influence in
my life, and in my art, I try to convey that emotional, flowing quality of jazz.
In 1957, I attended the Philadelphia Museum College of Art (now University of the Arts). I majored in design, with its emphasis on
letter form and the use of space in design. However, the most exciting classes for me were drawing, painting, and printmaking. At the time, I didn't know that my understanding and respect for design,
partnered with my passion for drawing, would be a helping hand on my journey to becoming a children's book artist.
My path was made smoother when three books—Wind in the Willows, illustrated by Arthur Rackham; The Wonder Clock, illustrated by Howard Pyle; and Rain
Makes Applesauce, illustrated by Marvin Bileck—magically came into my possession. Later, in the 1960s, that path was illuminated by the inspiring work of the artists Charlie White III, Romare
Beardon, and Jacob Lawrence.
Gloria Jean, my wife of forty-one years and an author herself, has been the markers along my path, pointing me in the right direction.
Her support and creative energy have enabled me to take the kinds of risks so necessary in keeping the work that I do fresh and joyful. •
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About the Author:
A native of Philadelphia, Jerry Pinkney studied at the Philadelphia College of
Art (now University of the Arts), and in 1992, was awarded the university's Alumni Award. Jerry first began illustrating children's books in 1964 and has illustrated over eighty titles. He has
been the recipient of four Caldecott Honor Medals and four Coretta Scott King Awards, as well as twice a Coretta Scott King Honor Award winner. His other awards include the
1998 nomination for the Hans Christian Andersen Illustration Medal, sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), and several gold and silver medals and the Hamilton
King Award from the Society of Illustrators in New York City.
In addition to his work in children's books, Jerry has had over twenty one-man retrospectives at major U.S.
venues, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the California African American Museum in Los Angeles, California. He has exhibited in over one hundred group shows in the United
States and throughout the world, and has held professorships teaching art at several universities. He lives with his wife, Gloria Jean, in Westchester County, New York.
Recent books illustrated by Jerry Pinkney include:
Goin' Someplace Special, written by
Patricia McKissack (Atheneum, 2001)
Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales, written by Julius Lester (Dial, 1999)
The Ugly Duckling, written by Hans Christian Andersen (Morrow, 1999)
Sam and the Tigers: A New Telling of Little Black Sambo, written by Julius Lester (Dial, 1996)
John Henry, written by Julius Lester (Dial, 1994)
To contact this author or illustrator, please use the information for his or her publisher provided on our list of CBC member publishers.
Meet the Author/Illustrator Archives
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