Jirina Marton
Bella's Tree
Children's Literature – Illustration English-Language
Jirina Marton, Colborne (Ontario),
Bella's Tree, text by Janet Russell.
(Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press;
distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
(ISBN 978-0-88899-870-5)
Biography
Jirina Marton began her artistic career studying wood sculpture in her native Prague. She later moved to Paris to study painting, and worked as a layout artist at a large publishing house. Soon after she moved to Canada in 1985, she illustrated her first Canadian book, Nicole's Boat, by Allen Morgan. Since then, her medium has changed from oil pastel, to acrylic to watercolour and her artwork has been exhibited throughout Europe, Canada and Japan. She was a finalist in the 2007 GGs and has won many awards, including the 1995 Grand Prize of the Itabashi Picture Book Contest (Japan). Jirina Marton lives in Colborne, Ontario.
Jury's comment
Jirina Marton's illustrations invite the reader to a winter landscape full of textures and subtle, earthy colour palettes. The Van Gogh-like interior and its warm tones create a holiday season mood that evokes an emotional response. The illustrations are well crafted and capture the imagination and humanity of the everyday lives they portray.