Wallace Tripp
Encyclopedia
Wallace Whitney Tripp is an American illustrator
, anthologist and author
. He is known for creating anthropomorphic animal characters of emotional complexity and for his great visual and verbal humor. He is one of several illustrators of the Amelia Bedelia
series of children's stories. He has illustrated over 40 books, including Marguerite, Go Wash Your Feet (1985), Wallace Tripp's Wurst Seller (1981), Casey at the Bat
(1978) and A Great Big Ugly Man Came Up and Tied His Horse to Me (1973). Tripp has also drawn many greeting card
s for the Pawprints line, now available in limited quantities from Recycled Paper Greetings
in Chicago.
, Massachusetts
, Tripp grew up in rural New Hampshire
and New York
. He attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
(SMFA) where he studied graphic arts. He received a bachelor's degree in education from Keene State College
and studied English at the University of New Hampshire
. He then taught English for three years until choosing to devote himself full-time to illustration.
For a time, Tripp's ex-wife Marcy ran a publishing house, Sparhawk Books, that published two of his books, including Wallace Tripp's Wurst Seller. Wallace created many greeting cards for Pawprints, a family-owned business run by Marcy. He now lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire
and typically works for HarperCollins
. Wallace and Marcy Tripp have three children, two sons and a daughter. He has been retired for over 20 years due to Parkinson's disease
.
"Illustrators are word people who happen to draw. We work with one foot in a book, the other stuck in a paint pot. Our shoes are a disgrace."
"The experienced illustrator subscribes to the principle of the application of the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Should inspiration whisk down your chimney, be at your table. The first ten thousand drawings are the hardest. Put another way, you have ten thousand bad drawings within and should expel them as quickly as possible."
"In children's books I look for artists (not necessarily the best draftsmen, either) with vitality, integrity, humor and a powerful story-telling bent. There is too much arty, pretentious, self-indulgent illustration (often not a considered accurate reflection of what the story says) looking as if intended as a portfolio presentation or a contest entry. Give me N.C. Wyeth, Ernest Shepard, Garth Williams
, Bill Peet
, Raymond Briggs
, Richard Scarry
and Graham Oakley
and forget those [who perpetrate] lovely curlicues and fabulous puce
washes."
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, anthologist and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He is known for creating anthropomorphic animal characters of emotional complexity and for his great visual and verbal humor. He is one of several illustrators of the Amelia Bedelia
Amelia Bedelia
This article is about the protagonist in the childrens book series of the same name. For the first book in the series, see Amelia Bedelia ...
series of children's stories. He has illustrated over 40 books, including Marguerite, Go Wash Your Feet (1985), Wallace Tripp's Wurst Seller (1981), Casey at the Bat
Casey at the Bat
"Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888" is a baseball poem written in 1888 by Ernest Thayer. First published in The San Francisco Examiner on June 3, 1888, it was later popularized by DeWolf Hopper in many vaudeville performances.The poem was originally published...
(1978) and A Great Big Ugly Man Came Up and Tied His Horse to Me (1973). Tripp has also drawn many greeting card
Greeting card
A greeting card is an illustrated, folded card featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feeling. Greeting cards,...
s for the Pawprints line, now available in limited quantities from Recycled Paper Greetings
Recycled Paper Greetings
Recycled Paper Greetings, Inc. is a Chicago-based greeting card company founded by Phil Friedmann and Mike Keiser in 1971. They became successful as one of the first greeting card companies to print their product on recycled paper, and to give their artists recognition by putting their names on...
in Chicago.
Biography
Born in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Tripp grew up in rural New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is an undergraduate and graduate college located in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to the visual arts. It is affiliated with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in partnership with Tufts University...
(SMFA) where he studied graphic arts. He received a bachelor's degree in education from Keene State College
Keene State College
Keene State College is a liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is a member of the University System of New Hampshire and of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges....
and studied English at the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
. He then taught English for three years until choosing to devote himself full-time to illustration.
For a time, Tripp's ex-wife Marcy ran a publishing house, Sparhawk Books, that published two of his books, including Wallace Tripp's Wurst Seller. Wallace created many greeting cards for Pawprints, a family-owned business run by Marcy. He now lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire
Peterborough, New Hampshire
Peterborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,284 at the 2010 census. Home to the MacDowell Art Colony, the town is a popular tourist destination....
and typically works for HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
. Wallace and Marcy Tripp have three children, two sons and a daughter. He has been retired for over 20 years due to Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
.
Quotations
"Genius is rare as turtle fangs, but talent is common enough.""Illustrators are word people who happen to draw. We work with one foot in a book, the other stuck in a paint pot. Our shoes are a disgrace."
"The experienced illustrator subscribes to the principle of the application of the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Should inspiration whisk down your chimney, be at your table. The first ten thousand drawings are the hardest. Put another way, you have ten thousand bad drawings within and should expel them as quickly as possible."
"In children's books I look for artists (not necessarily the best draftsmen, either) with vitality, integrity, humor and a powerful story-telling bent. There is too much arty, pretentious, self-indulgent illustration (often not a considered accurate reflection of what the story says) looking as if intended as a portfolio presentation or a contest entry. Give me N.C. Wyeth, Ernest Shepard, Garth Williams
Garth Williams
Garth Montgomery Williams was an American artist who came to prominence in the American postwar era as an illustrator of children's books...
, Bill Peet
Bill Peet
Bill Peet , was an American children's book illustrator and a story writer for Disney Studios...
, Raymond Briggs
Raymond Briggs
Raymond Redvers Briggs is an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author who has achieved critical and popular success among adults and children...
, Richard Scarry
Richard Scarry
Richard McClure Scarry was a popular American children's author and illustrator who published over 300 books with total sales of over 100 million units worldwide....
and Graham Oakley
Graham Oakley
Graham Oakley is an English author and illustrator. He was born on August 27, 1929 to Thomas and Flora Oakley in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. He currently lives in Lyme Regis, Dorset and was listed in the 2008 Modern Classics edition of The Church Mice as 'mostly retired'.-Art career:In 1950,...
and forget those [who perpetrate] lovely curlicues and fabulous puce
Puce
Puce is a color that is defined as ranging from reddish-brown to purplish-brown, with the latter being the more widely accepted definition found in reputable sources. Puce is a shade of red. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the use of "puce" from 1787...
washes."
Awards
- Grandfa Grig Had a Pig and Other Rhymes Without Reason from Mother Goose won the 1977 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Picture Books.
- A Great Big Ugly Man Came Up and Tied His Horse to Me: A Book of Nonsense Verse appeared on the American Library Association Notable Books for Children list.
Sources
- Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2009. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009.
- Kingman, L. et al. (1978). Illustrators of Children's Books 1967-1976, Horn Book, p. 164.
- Silvey, A., ed (1995). Children's Books and Their Creators, p. 651-653.