Drawn from the Heart : A Memoir

Ron Brooks grew up in East Gippsland, a country boy with a yen for drawing and observation of the life around him. He became an acknowledged master of the picture-book form, winning acclaim both nationally and internationally for classics such as The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek and John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner - both in print continuously for over 30 years - and Old Pig and the multi-award-winning Fox by Margaret Wild. Yet success never came easy. In this searching memoir he recreates his life as an artist, husband, father, with all its twists and turns, its pain and joy. Along the way he offers rare insights into the 'secret' process of picture-making and story-shaping. Illustrated with roughs and finished art from his best-loved books, Drawn from the Heart is a classic in its own right.

Ron Brooks is a picture book artist with a career spanning over 35 years. His previous books include The Bunyip of Berkeleys Creek, Aranea, John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat and Motor Bill and the Lovely Caroline by Jenny Wagner; the Honey and Bear books by Ursula Dubosarsky; the Henry books by Margaret Perversi; Old Pig and Fox by Margaret Wild. He lives in Tasmania.