Following on from Drawn From Memory, the second volume of memoirs by the much-loved artist of Winnie the Pooh and The Wind in the Willows
'The particular charm of Mr Shepard's reminiscences is their quiet straightforwardness. In his prose, as in his drawings, there is no bravura, no distortion for effect; just a clear appreciation of everyday life. Yet these pages are never dull because even the most matter of fact episodes are illustrated with sketches, in the familiar style, that almost imperceptibly heighten the point he wishes to make'
The Times
Drawn From Life vividly describes Shepard's experiences through school, his student days and his marriage to a fellow art student shortly after he had succeeded, at the age of twenty-four, in getting a picture hung at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. These rich, evocative memoirs end on his wedding day, facing married life with £70 in the bank as his total financial resources, and yet full of hope and confidence for the future.