David Kennett writes . . .
My maternal grandfather had a wonderful library and was interested in history, Greek mythology and natural history. I spent a lot of time with him when I was young, or time alone arranging my armies of toy soliders on, around or under the furniture in the dining room. That the dear man had to sit in neutral territory didn’t faze him at all. It is to my grandfather that I owe my obessions with history and animals.
I was thrown out of my high school art class for an inappropriate collage and was an exceptionally bad student at all subjects except history.
After my release from school I worked at various unskilled jobs, leaving most of them as unskilled as I found them. I did realise a not unexpected talent for demolition. My father’s side of the family are all builders and comfortable with shovels, sledgehammers and so forth. I drifted into art school at 22 and had the happiest four years of my life.
I’m hopeless at drawing cars, modern buildings or technology. I have no interest in them. I enjoy drawing animals, people and scenes from history.
My favourite illustrators are Charles Keeping, Victor Ambrus, N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, Chris Van Allsburg, Moebius and Frank Miller.
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