Raul Colón
, b. 1952
Raul Colón was inspired to become an artist after chronic childhood asthma kept him frequently housebound, reading comics and drawing. Born in New York City, his family moved to Caguas, Puerto Rico in the 1960s, where he studied commercial art. He returned to the US to work at an educational television centre in Florida, designing puppets and short animations, before returning to New York, where he still lives. His soft, richly coloured illustrations in pencil and watercolour employ a scratchboard technique to give depth and texture to his work. He has illustrated children’s books with Robert Burleigh, Jane Yolen and Robert Daniel San Souci, and wrote and illustrated Orion Blasts Off! (2004), the story of a boy who learns to use his imagination after his computer breaks down. Colón has been recognised with a Golden Kite Award for Dona Flor (2013, with Pat Mora) and both Gold and Silver medals from the Society of Illustrators. In 2013 the Orlando Museum of Art hosted Tall Tales and Huge Hearts: Raul Colón, a solo exhibition of his work.
Bio prepared by Miriam Riverlea, University of New England, mriverlea@gmail.com
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