Montreal artist Suzanne Duranceau has developed her illustration skills as a freelance illustrator since beginning her career in the mid-1970s. Praised for her highly detailed paintings, and her engaging depiction of natural subjects, she has received numerous awards for her work and has designed over thirteen Canadian postage stamps. Duranceau has an extensive client list and has illustrated books for a variety of authors, among them Piece of Jungle, by Sarah Weeks, Millicent and the Wind, by Robert Munsch, and Hickory, Dickory, Dock, by Robin Muller.
Duranceau's illustrations in the picture book Piece of Jungle are large double-spread paintings depicting animals in the rainforest. Booklist critic Helen Rosenberg acclaimed the artist's "beautiful color illustrations" as "the strength of the book, effectively portraying the lushness of the rainforest and the myriad creatures living there." With the aid of Duranceau's detailed paintings "children will get a sense of diversity of the jungle," the critic added.
In Robin Muller's picture book Hickory, Dickory, Dock Duranceau once again amuses young bookworms, this time portraying the classic nursery rhyme though "action-packed paintings" according to Janice Del Negro in Booklist. "Duranceau's opulent, detailed paintings combine realistic figures with oddly surreal touches, such as a cow jumping out of a painting and a trio of Dali-inspired melting watches," added a Publishers Weekly critic, commenting on the artist's use of a "luxurious," highly contrasting palette.
Career
Freelance illustrator.
Member
Quebec Illustrators Association (co-founder and president, 1983–85), Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communication (national president).
Awards, Honors
Governor General Award (Canada), for children's book illustrations, 1993; Award of Excellence, Communication Art Illustration Annual, 1995; gold and silver medals from Canadian Association of Packaging, Houston Society of Illustrators, Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communication, Studio Magazine annual competition, Toronto Art Directors Club, Montreal Publicity Club, and Quebec Illustrators Association.
Illustrator
Cécile Gagnon, Plumeneige, Éditions Héritage (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1980.
Josseline Deschenes, L'autobus à Margo, Héritage (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1981.
Henriete Major, La motoneige rouge, Bayard Presse (Paris, France), 1981.
Jean-Marie Poupart, Nuits magiques, Éditions la Courte échelle (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1982.
Henriette Major, La ville fabuleuse, Héritage (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1982.
Paule Daveluy, Un coq, un mur, deux garcons (novel), P. Tisseyre (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1983.
Denyse Perreault, Flowers for Santa Claus, Canada Post Corporations (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), 1983.
(With Michael Martchenko) Robert Munsch, Millicent and the Wind, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1984.
Louise Beaudin, Les animaux de la ferme, Éditions du Nomade (Waterloo, Quebec, Canada), 1984.
Louise Beaudin, Les animaux sauvages, Éditions du Nomade (Waterloo, Quebec, Canada), 1984.
Louise Beaudin, Les reptiles, Éditions du Nomade (Waterloo, Quebec, Canada), 1984.
Robin Muller, Hickory, Dickory, Dock, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1994.
Deborah Heiligman, Pockets, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 1995.
Sarah Weeks, Follow the Moon, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1995.
Naomi Judd, Naomi Judd's Love Can Build a Bridge, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.
Sarah Weeks, Piece of Jungle, Laura Geringer Books (New York, NY), 1999.
Cynthia Voigt, The Vandermark Mummy, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2001.
Robert N. Munsch, Munschworks 4: The Fourth Munsch Treasury, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2002.
Sarah Weeks, Without You, Laura Geringer Books (New York, NY), 2003.
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Biographical and Critical Sources
periodicals
- Booklist, May 1, 1994, Janice Del Negro, review of Hickory, Dickory, Dock, p. 1609; August, 1999, Helen Rosenberg, review of Piece of Jungle, p. 2067.
- Publishers Weekly, November 29, 1993, review of Hickory, Dickory, Dock, p. 65; June 19, 1995, review of Follow the Moon, p. 26.
online
- Good Nature Publishing Web site, http://www.goodnaturepublishing.com/ (February 13, 2005).
- ZAKS Illustrators Source Web site, http://www.illustrators.net/ (February 13, 2005), "Suzanne Duranceau."
