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Ken Nutt studied fine arts at York University from 1970 to 1972, then worked at "The Gallery", in Stratford in various capacities while continuing to paint and draw. His first project as an illustrator, Zoom at Sea (written by Tim Wynne-Jones) won the 1984 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award. Two years later, in 1986, Nutt began to sign his picture-book art with the name "Eric Beddows". The use of this name, which is an amalgam of Nutt's middle name (Eric) and his mother's family name (Beddows), provides him with a public way to separate his work as an illustrator from his work in fine art. When working on a picture book, he starts with quick rough sketches. When satisfied with his drawings, he uses transparent paper to move his characters around, and view them from different perspectives. He may also gain an understanding of perspective through the use of elaborate three-dimensional models. He works in both colour and black and white, but prefers black and white for fantasy. In the Zoom books, the graphite drawings on lightly textured paper are the perfect medium for emphasis on detail, perspective, lighting and mood. His first colour book, Night Cars, provided him with an opportunity to use an old glazing technique in a modern way. The translucency of the glaze produces complex shades of colour, and along with the book's many sources of light (headlights of cars, street lamps, and brightly lit store windows), evokes the night-time mood. Among the National Library's holdings are studies, sketches, preliminary drawings, three-dimensional models and original illustrations for Cave of Snores (written by Dennis Haseley), Zoom Upstream, and Night Cars (written by Teddy Jam).
Awards
 1984 | Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award for Zoom at Sea. |
| 1984 | Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award for Zoom at Sea. |
| 1986 | Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award for Zoom Away. |
| 1988 | Municipal Chapter of Toronto IODE Book Award for Night Cars. |
| 1989 | Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award for Night Cars. |
| 1996 | Governor General's Literary Award/Children's Literature for best illustrations in an English book for The Rooster's Gift. |
Selected Bibliography
Books for Children
4 Strange Stories. Written by Chris Van Allsburg and others; illustrated by Ken Nutt and others. Markham, Ont.: Houghton Mifflin Canada, c1992.
94 p.: ill.; 22 x 28 cm. (Waves)
ISBN 0395543835
Contents: Jumanji, by Chris Van Allsburg.- The Garden of Abdul Gaxazi, by Chris Van Allsburg.- Zoom at Sea, by Tim Wynne-Jones; illustrated by Ken Nutt.- Zoom Away, by Tim Wynne-Jones; illustrated by Ken Nutt.
The Cave of Snores. Written by Dennis Haseley; illustrated by Eric Beddows. Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, c1987.
38 p.: ill.; 24 cm.
ISBN 0889029334
The Emperor's Panda. Written by David Day; illustrated by Eric Beddows. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, c1986.
109 p.: ill.; 24 cm.
ISBN 0771025734
I Am Phoenix: Poems for Two Voices. Written by Paul Fleischman; illustrated by Ken Nutt. New York: Harper & Row, c1985.
51 p.: ill; 24 cm.
ISBN 0060218819
ISBN 0060218827 (library binding)
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. Written by Paul Fleischman; illustrated by Eric Beddows. New York: Harper & Row, c1988.
44 p.: ill.; 24 cm.
ISBN 0060218525
ISBN 0060218533 (library binding)
Night Cars. Written by Teddy Jam; illustrated by Eric Beddows. Toronto: A Groundwood Book; Douglas & McIntyre, 1991, c1988.
32 p.: col. ill.; 25 cm.
ISBN 0888991347
The Rooster's Gift. Written by Pam Conrad; illustrated by Eric Beddows. Toronto: A Groundwood Book, Douglas & McIntyre, 1996.
38 p.: col. ill.; 23 x 29 cm.
ISBN 0888992734
Shadow Play. Written by Paul Fleischman; illustrated by Eric Beddows. New York: Harper & Row, c1990.
33 p.: ill ; 26 cm.
ISBN 0060218584
ISBN 0060218657 (library binding)
Who Shrank My Grandmother's House?: Poems of Discovery. Written by Barbara Juster Esbensen; illustrated by Eric Beddows. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1992.
47 p.: col. ill.; 25 cm.
ISBN 1550542117
Zoom at Sea. Written by Tim Wynne-Jones; illustrated by Eric Beddows. Toronto: A Groundwood Book, Douglas & McIntyre, 1993, c1983.
32 p.: ill.; 22 x 27 cm.
ISBN 088899172X
Zoom Away. Written by Tim Wynne-Jones; illustrated by Eric Beddows. Toronto: A Groundwood Book, Douglas & McIntyre, 1993, c1985.
32 p.: ill.; 22 x 27 cm.
ISBN 0888991738
Zoom Upstream. Written by Tim Wynne-Jones; illustrated by Eric Beddows. Toronto: A Groundwood Book, Douglas & McIntyre, 1993, c1992.
34 p.: ill.; 21 x 26 cm.
ISBN 0888991886
Books for Adults
Guy Nokes, Recent Sculpture. Curated by John Silverstein; catalogue essay by Ken Nutt; sculpture by Guy Nokes. Stratford, Ont.: Gallery/Stratford, 1985.
16 p.: ill. (some col.); 26 cm.
Ken Nutt. Curated by Ted Fraser; catalogue essay by Marshall Webb; illustrations by Ken Nutt. Windsor, Ont.: Art Gallery of Windsor, c1985.
32 p.: ill.; 28 cm.
ISBN 0919837042
Ken Nutt, Drawings; Glen Elliott, Sculpture; September 5 to October 5, 1980, the Gallery/Stratford. Stratford, Ont.: Gallery/Stratford, 1980.
6 p.: ill.; 30 cm.
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