Emily Carr Living Art Books
Emily Carr Picture Study Aid and Art Prints
This 26-page Emily Carr Picture Study Aid (available as a PDF or printed booklet shipped to you) includes a brief summary of the life of the Canadian painter Emily Carr (1871-1945), a synopsis of seven of her paintings, printable versions of the pieces covered (or professional-quality prints), and a brief discussion about Charlotte Mason’s ideas and methods for implementing picture study at different ages.
Emily Carr was a prolific writer throughout her life and left us with several books that were published both during her life and posthumously, including the following:
Klee Wyck
By Emily Carr
“Emily Carr’s first book, published in 1941, was titled Klee Wyck (‘Laughing One’), in honour of the name that the Native people of the west coast gave to her. This collection of twenty-one word sketches about Native people describes her visits and travels as she painted their totem poles and villages. Vital and direct, aware and poignant, it is as well regarded today as when it was first published in 1941 to instant and wide acclaim, winning the Governor General’s Award for Non-fiction.“
The Book of Small
By Emily Carr
“The Book of Small is a collection of 36 short stories about a childhood in a town that still had vestiges of its pioneer past. With an uncanny skill at bringing people to life, Emily Carr tells stories about her family, neighbours, friends and strangers—who run the gamut from genteel people in high society to disreputable frequenters of saloons—as well as an array of beloved pets. All are observed through the sharp eyes and ears of a young, ever-curious and irrepressible girl, and Carr’s writing is a disarming combination of charm and devastating frankness.“
The House of All Sorts
By Emily Carr
“Before winning recognition as an artist and writer, Emily Carr served as landlady to an apartment building where she bred English sheep dogs to supplement a meager income. A collection of stories about those hard-working days, The House of All Sorts features vividly portrayed tenants who frequently surprise Carr with their foibles, as well as the beloved canines who provide her with companionship. Carr is at her most acerbic and rueful, but also filled with vitality and an inextinguishable hope.“
Growing Pains: The Autobiography of Emily Carr
By Emily Carr
“Completed just before Emily Carr died in 1945, Growing Pains tells the story of Carr’s life, beginning with her girlhood in pioneer Victoria and going on to her training as an artist in San Francisco, England and France. Also here is the frustration she felt at the rejection of her art by Canadians, of the years of despair when she stopped painting. She had to earn a living, and did so by running a small apartment-house, and her painful years of landladying and more joyful times raising dogs for sale, claimed all her time and energy. Then, towards the end of her life, came unexpected vindication and triumph when the Group of Seven accepted her as one of them. Throughout, the book is informed with Carr’s passionatate love of and connection with nature.“
Pause: A Sketch Book
By Emily Carr
“While studying art in London, Emily Carr seriously undermined her health and was sent to a sanatorium for a complete rest cure. Bridling at the hospital’s rules, which prohibited excitement of any kind, the always rebellious Carr proceeded to make friends, raise birds, and cause trouble. In words and enchanting sketches, Carr presents a funny, poignant account of her 18-month convalescence.“
The Heart of a Peacock
By Emily Carr
“The Heart of a Peacock is a collection of 51 short stories by the legendary writer and painter Emily Carr. The stories are arranged in themes such as her experiences with Native people, her adventures with various beloved creatures (particularly birds), her love of nature, and a whole section of stories about her mischievous pet monkey Woo. Together, they underline Emily Carr’s place as a writer with the sharp yet tender eye of an artist, with a deep feeling for the tragedies of life and with a rich sense of the comic. The Heart of a Peacock has been in print ever since its publication in 1953, and, like her other books, has been read and loved by a couple of generations. The book is enhanced by seven of Carr’s own line drawings of scenes from nature.“
Hundreds and Thousands: The Journals of Emily Carr
By Emily Carr
“Emily Carr’s journals from 1927 to 1941 portray the happy, productive period when she was able to resume painting after dismal years of raising dogs and renting out rooms to pay the bills. These revealing entries convey her passionate connection with nature, her struggle to find her voice as a writer, and her vision and philosophy as a painter.“
Below are books recommended for supplementing your study of Emily Carr.
Emily Carr: A Biography
By Maria Tippett
“No artist has expressed the mood, mystery, and soul of Canada s west coast as Emily Carr did in her landscape art and novels. This biography captures the originality of mind, fierce and independent spirit, and extraordinary productivity of a woman who defied convention to follow her dream. With a narrative that is at once sympathetic and penetrating, acclaimed writer and historian Maria Tippett chronicles Carr’s struggles, wide travels, and achievements.“
Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World
By Jo Ellen Bogart
“The brilliant artist Emily Carr lived at the edge. When she was born, in 1871, Victoria, British Columbia was a small, insular place. She was at the edge of a society that expected well-bred young ladies to marry. For years, she was at the edge of the world of artists she longed to join.
Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World is an introduction to this remarkable artist and her paintings.” Ages 10+.
When Emily Carr Met Woo
By Monica Kulling
This is a biographical children’s book. However, it focuses more on Carr’s menagerie (specifically her monkey) than her art and would be good as a fun introduction to for young children. Ages 5-10.
When Emily Was Small
By Lauren Soloy
“A joyful frolic through the garden helps a little girl feel powerful in this beautiful picture book that celebrates nature, inspired by the writings of revered artist Emily Carr.” Ages 4-8.
The Art Room: Drawing and Painting with Emily Carr
By Susan Vande Griek
“For any child who loves art, it would be the gift of a lifetime to be able to study with a great contemporary artist. This delightful story-poem recreates the wonderful world of “the art room,” where famous Northwest Coast painter Emily Carr taught drawing and painting to children to support herself in the early 1900s. Filled with Carr’s love of animals, her insistence on painting from life and nature, and the sense of fun and freedom that she inspired in her young students, author Susan Vande Griek provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of this extraordinarily gifted artist. It is also a book bound to inspire today’s children to make an ‘art room’ of their own.” Ages 4-7.
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