Selwyn Dewdney

Selwyn Hanington Dewdney (October 9, 1909 – November 18, 1979) was a Canadian author, illustrator, artist, activist and pioneer in both art therapy and pictography.

He was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, on October 9, 1909 and was the son of the Anglican bishop of the diocese of Keewatin. His family moved to Kenora, Ontario in 1924 and he received his secondary education there. He attended the University of Toronto where he received a general Bachelor of Arts in Astronomy and English.

In the summer of 1928, he accompanied his father on a 3,800 mile journey to visit the Ojibway and Cree missions in Northern Ontario. Much of this venture was travelled by canoe. This experience established his interest in native culture and love of the bush in the Canadian Shield. In 1932, he attended the Ontario College of Education and received a High School Assistant's Certificate and Art Specialists Certificate. He also took a course in landscape painting.

In 1933, he was hired by the Geological Survey of Canada, and was assigned to survey the transition zone between the Precambrian formations of the Canadian Shield and the Hudson Bay lowlands. Among the muskeg and blackflies, he sketched the landscape and produced pencil portraits of the traverse crew at the survey camp. His inspiration as an artist came from the great northern landscapes that he loved to visit. His dramatic style is quite similar to that of the Group of Seven. In 1934, he attended the Ontario College of Art, graduating with honors and moved to London, Ontario.

In 1936, he married Irene Donner in a ceremony conducted by his father. Their honeymoon was a 500 mile canoe trip loop from Kenora to Red Lake. Their children were:

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