The Porcupine's Quill
Celebrating forty years on the Main Street
of Erin Village, Wellington County
GERARD BRENDER À BRANDIS
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Browse this page for more information about Gerard Brender à Brandis, links to his publications, and other information about his artwork and studio.
‘Brender à Brandis’ delicate illustrations evoke tremendous texture for a medium as difficult as wood engraving, and have a wild, almost Art Nouveau quality.’
—The Globe and Mail
BIOGRAPHY
A member of the Wood Engravers’ Network, Gerard Brender à Brandis has produced hundreds of drawings, wood engravings and watercolours of plants, landscape, buildings and musical instruments. These images have appeared in books, including Wood, Ink and Paper, A Gathering of Flowers from Shakespeare and The Grand River (all published by The Porcupine’s Quill) as well as in his own handmade editions. His work is represented in the collections of many galleries, including the Art Gallery of Ontario Library, the University of California, Santa Barbara and the McMaster Library and Archives. They are also found among the collections of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario, the Missouri Botanic Garden, the Arnold Arboretum and the Hunt Botanical Library. His garden and his studio are located in Stratford, Ontario.
For more information please visit the artist’s website »
PUBLICATIONS
ISBN 9780889840294
‘This book is a step on the way towards a better understanding of wood engraving in Canada, by making the work and philosophy of one of Canada’s best artists in this medium available at a modest price.’
—Hamilton Spectator
with David Hoeniger
ISBN 9780889842908
‘You don’t have to be biased, like me, to see at a glance that A Gathering of Flowers from Shakespeare is a perfect little gem, ideal for lovers of wood engravings, flowers, printmaking or even just Shakespeare.’
—Hans Werner, Toronto Star
ISBN 9780889843110
‘I have been flipping for the past month through the Wood Engraver’s Alphabet by one of Canada’s great engravers, G. Brender à Brandis, and with each pass through find some nuance or detail that I had missed and am charmed all over again by this beautiful little collections of engravings published by the Porcupine’s Quill.’
—Richard Coxford, Bytown Bookshop Review
with David Hoeniger
ISBN 9780889843165
‘As with all the works published by Porcupine’s Quill, this book is itself a work of art, carefully printed on fine quality paper and bound by traditional methods. Even in paperback, this is a book to keep and treasure.’
—Gloria Hildebrandt, Escarpment Views
ISBN 9780889843813
‘Any wood engraver would treasure The Grand River as a valuable addition to their library. Its lyrical and informative prose and exquisitely detailed wood engravings immerse the reader into a special, peaceful place, a pleasurable contemplation. Highly recommended!’
—Dale Kennedy and Gwen Schagrin, Block & Burin
PURCHASING
Books are available online through AbeBooks, and in stores through your favourite independent bookseller.
RESOURCES
DA 64 (Spring 2009) features a professional biography of wood engraver and bookwright Gerard Brender à Brandis written by his sister, the writer Marianne Brandis.
Several of Gerard Brender à Brandis's prints are available for purchase online through Art of the Print.
This fantastic interview conducted by Wandering Educators provides an excellent background into the artist’s work, as well as a fair few photographs of his studio.
Gerard Brender à Brandis and his dog, Smudge, at the 2017 Grimsby Wayzgoose.
The Porcupine's Quill would like to acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program. The financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) is also gratefully acknowledged.
PQL Collections:
- The Essential Poets Series
- The Wordless Novels Series
- The Alphabet Collection
- Fabulous Fictions Project
- STICKY fingers