Asun Balzola

Asunción Balzola Elorza (Bilbao, July 18, 1942 - Madrid, June 22, 2006) was a self-taught Spanish illustrator, writer and translator. In 1985 she won the National Illustration Prize.

Biography

He began his activity in the company Imprenta Industrial, beginning with children's illustration with Editorial Aguilar, in 1962.

At the age of 22, she suffered a car accident that left her disabled and interrupted her profession. After years of recovery, she dedicates herself to her best-known side of writing and illustrating books for children and young people.

He lived in Italy for a while, and upon returning to Spain he decided to settle in Madrid. From that moment on, in 1976, she dedicated herself completely to writing and drawing. She illustrated both creative books and textbooks, working for most of the country's publishers and for several European and American publishers.

He studied at the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, after partially recovering from the car accident. He also worked in the fields of advertising and graphic design.

In 1978 with n#34;Stories of a Hedgehog#34; He also began to publish texts.

In the 80s she was the first president of the Association of Illustrators of Madrid (APIM).

In her desire to broaden her creative vision, she publishes Txoriburu - Cabeza de chorlito, where she remembers her first seven years of life and in which she includes an album in which she herself performs a dozen children's songs, with electronic arrangements and accompanied by guitar, published by Ediciones Destino and presented at the Hotel Igeretxe in Guecho by the Aula de Cultura in 1999.

In January 2001 he again assumed the Presidency of the Association of Illustrators of Madrid.

In 2002 she was named honorary president, along with Antonio Fraguas "Forges", of the Association of Illustrators of Madrid (APIM). That same year she presented the book From my wheels

His personal archive and library was bequeathed, posthumously, to the Central Children's Library and the Children's Book Documentation Center.

His illustration style is characterized, in its best-known variant, by the use of spots of color (often watercolor) and thick outlines.

Illustrations

• The nights of the green cat. Elizabeth Mulder's texts. Anaya. 1962.
• Universal child songbook. Bonifacio Gil. Aguilar. 1965. Lazarillo Award.
• Platero and me. Juan Ramón Jiménez. Bruguera. 1980.
• Zuecos and oranges. Montserrat del Amo. The Galera. 1981.
• The Witch Doña Paz. Antoniorrobles. Miñón. 1981.
• Txitoen istorioa. Bernardo Atxaga. Bratislava Gold Apple Award. 1985.
• The hunt. Bernardo Atxaga. Altea, 1986.
• Celia in the Revolution. Elena Fortun. Aguilar. 1987.
• A lot of Unicorns. Ana María Machado. FS. 1990.
• Dad doesn't live with us anymore.. Manuel Alonso. FS. 1992.
• Poems for the pupil. Juan Cruz Iguerabide. Hyperion. 1995.
• The first giant. Teresa Duran. The Galera 1995
• When cats feel so lonely. Mariasun Landa. Anaya. 1997
• The boy draws the night. Scott Foresman. 1999
• From my wheels. Alberdania 2002.
• "The Guggenheim Bilbao Effect"

• The Indiana Jones Hunter." The steamboat.1987

Texts and illustrations by the author

• History of a hedgehog. Miñón. 1978. National Enlightenment Award.
• Santino the pier. Destination. 1986.
• Fly wing. Pirene. 1989.
• Munia and the moon (1). Munia's shoes. Munia and Mrs. Piltronera (2). Munia and findings. Destination. 1980-1990. (1) Apel·les Mestres 1980 Award. (2) National Enlightenment Award 1985.
• The Indiana Jones Hunter. FS 1987.
• Simonetta, Siena and Gold. SM. 2000.

Publications for adults

• Txoriburu. Chorlito headmemories of the first years of his life.

• "Double party."

Prizes and awards

• Lazarillo Prize in 1965 by Universal child songbook,
• 1978 National Prize for Child Literature, 2nd Award for Best Illustration Work History of a hedgehog
• 1985 National Illustration Award Munia and Mrs. Pitronera.
• 1988 CataluÑa Generality Award
• 1988 Serra D'or Award of the Critics (1988)
• 1991 Euskadi Award and the SM Foundation Award for best text and illustrations
• 1996 Award for the best illustrated book of the children's book in Basque in Zarauz