Allan Eitzen

Happy Festive season to one and all, this is my last post of 2023 and I hope it finds you well, cup of tea, coffee or your preferred beverage in hand and nicely chilling out awaiting the holidays to come.

It’s been a tricky year for many reasons, which I won’t go into right now, but thank you for staying with me on this journey of exploration of different artists who tend to catch my eye. I have one last one for you,,, but it’s a good one. Enjoy : )

Allan George Eitzen was born on the 25 May 1928 in Minnesota. He received an education in art from local Gustavus Adolphus College before moving to Scottdale, Pennsylvania, where he worked as an illustrator for Herald Press. 

It was there that he met his future wife, Ruth Carper, who was developing educational materials for the same Newspaper. After a month’s acquaintance, Ruth moved to Europe for a four-year term with Mennonite Central Committee. During that time, she and Allan remained in contact and, after her return to the United States, they married on 12 July 1954. In the meantime, he had earned a degree in illustration at Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts).

They moved to a country home in Barto, Pennsylvania, and had five children.

He supported the family as a freelance illustrator of children’s books, magazines, and textbooks, often inspired by their idyllic country setting and his flock of sheep, his children were often the models in his book illustrations. 8 year old Dirk was the model for the book ‘Pick a Whistle’.

When the children left home, he had more time to devote to his artistic medium of choice, printmaking, while Ruth continued her education at Temple University, where she earned a master’s degree in creative writing.

Together, Allan and Ruth wrote and illustrated three books: The White Feather (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1987); Ti Jacques: a Story of Haiti (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1972); and Tara’s Flight (Honesdale, PA: Boyd’s Mill Press, 2008), which was released ten months after Ruth’s death on 11 April 2007.

Allan continued working professionally as an illustrator until 2007, and as a printmaker almost to the time of his death. In a 2008 interview, Allan described his style as “stylized realism. . . simplification or slight abstraction . . . a little exaggeration here or there to give it a personal touch.” Here are a few of his later artworks that I came across in a You Tube tribute.

Sadly Allan died of cancer on 31 August 2008 at the age of 80. Such a talented individual with a varied and technically acclaimed eye for illustration and art. I contacted two of his children Laura and John, who have sent me many images of their father’s work which I intend to put into a follow up post in 2024. In the meantime I managed to buy this beautiful book of his work from 1963 called ‘Birds in Wintertime’. It is a book without words and I think from the illustrations alone, it really doesn’t appear to be lacking in any way for not having any.

Aren’t these illustrations just stunning ! This is my festive gift to you all.

Happy Holidays wherever you are and I look forward to sharing next year with you too.

All the very best fishes, Craig x