“It is the idea that is the most important thing, and after that, it is how you present your way of seeing the world with a unique thought. And if you can pull that off and have fun doing it, alleluia!”
A native of Pretty Prairie, Kansas, and son of an Air Force pilot, Graphis Master Jack Unruh (1935-2016) lived in a variety of places while growing up. Jack was like all kids: he drew… he just never stopped. When he was little, he created picture stories about the war while lying in front of the radio, drawing what he heard. After graduating from Washington University in St Louis, he settled and began his illustration career in Dallas, Texas, where his one-of-a-kind drawing style emerged. With his unabashed love of drawing, Jack was quick to say that his passion for image-making ran parallel to his love of the outdoors and, of course, fly fishing and bird hunting. It takes only a few moments of wandering through his portfolio to notice the affection he had for drawing nature and its inhabitants. Through his easy laugh, Jack would say, “Drawing is a magic wand!” He made enchanting, spellbinding images for more than 50 years. Jack appeared in the Communication Arts illustration annual since its inception and was in numerous shows for American Illustration, Graphis, AIGA, and Print magazine. Graphis featured an article, “Jack Unruh: Quick on the Draw.” in its 2002 Sept/Oct issue #341. Jack is listed in the New York Society of Illustrators’ Hall of Fame along with such legendaries as Norman Rockwell, Al Hirschfeld, Dean Cornwell, Maxfield Parrish, Al Parker, N.C. Wyeth, and Robert Weaver.
