Edward HARRISON

HARRISON, Edward Hardy (Ted) CM, OBC, RCA Edward Hardy (Ted) Harrison was born August 28th, 1926 in the Village of Wingate, County Durham, England, and passed away peacefully on January 16, 2015 in Victoria, BC. Ted attributed his early interest in art to the encouragement and support from his parents, particularly his mother who had an interest in fashion design and photography. Grammar school teachers recognized his talent and urged him to further pursue his artistic dreams by going to Art College. In 1943, he enrolled in Hartlepool College of Art and began to study art and design in earnest, but the Second World War interrupted his education. Following his military service, during which he was stationed in Africa and Asia, Ted returned to art school and in 1950 he earned a National Diploma in Design from Hartlepool College of Art. The following year he received an Art Teaching Diploma from King's College University in Durham and then began a twenty-eight year career in education. Ted, who loved to travel, taught in many different parts of the world including Malaysia and New Zealand, before immigrating to Canada with his wife Nicky and their son Charles. They first settled in Wabasca, Alberta in 1967 before moving to Carcross, Yukon, in 1968. In 1970 Ted earned his Teacher's Certificate and the family moved to Whitehorse in 1971. Ted credits the work of English painter, Norman Cornish for inspiring his life long quest to paint people and places. But the strongest influence in his life and art was living in the land of the Yukon, where he found his "Shangri-La". Ted loved spending time at his Crag Lake cabin. He drew great inspiration from the natural beauty in that area, and was a passionate, if unsuccessful, fisherman. In 1993 Ted and Nicky moved to Victoria, British Columbia to continue his painting and writing. Ted was an active member of The Oak Bay Rotary Club, the Unitarian Church, the Oak Bay Sketch Club and several other philanthropic ventures. In 2009 Ted donated a large mural entitled "Vast Yukon" measuring 19.5 feet wide by 6 feet tall to the University of Victoria. The mural is currently on display in the Faculty of Social Science. Ted Harrison was one of Canada's most popular artists. His love of the land and people of the Yukon brought him international acclaim. His distinctive style of painting is both colourful and sophisticated yet retains an innocent charm, and appeals to young and old alike. In addition to his work as a painter, Ted has written several children's books including "The Blue Raven", "O Canada", "A Northern Alphabet" and "Children of the Yukon". He also wrote "The Lost Horizon" about his own journey to the Yukon and illustrated "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and "The Shooting of Dan McGrew", both by Robert Service. Other projects included his design of the façade for the Yukon Pavilion for Vancouver Expo' 86, the design of a Canada Post Christmas Stamp in 1996 and the design of a Christmas card for UNICEF. His paintings can be found in private and public collections throughout Canada, and in New Zealand, Japan, Germany and the United States. Ted earned a Bachelor in Education degree from the University of Alberta in 1977. In 1987 he received the Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian culture. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from The University of Athabasca in 1991, an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from The University of Victoria in 1998 and a distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Alberta, in 2002. In 2004 Ted was made a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Alberta (2005) and an Honorary Doctorate from Vancouver Island University, formerly Malaspina University College (2006). Ted was a Paul Harris Fellow, a holder of the Order of the Owl (2005) and the Order of British Columbia (2008). He was inducted into the Royal Conservatory of the Arts in 2005. Ted received the Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. Ted was predeceased by his beloved Nicky and is survived by his son Charles (Kathryn) who reside in Toronto, Ontario. Donations may be made to the Ted Harrison Foundation (www.tedharrisonfoundation.com) a registered charity established to encourage and support the development of aspiring Canadian artists and art educators via scholarships and bursaries. Celebrations of life will be held at the University Club, University of Victoria, BC on Saturday, April 4, 2015 from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and in Whitehorse, Yukon on May 30 (location TBA via www.tedharrisonfoundation.com).