Turk, Evan. To See Clearly: A Portrait of David Hockney. New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2023.
David loved to draw: on newspapers, on chore lists, on floors, on any space he could find until his mother got him a chalkboard to save the wallpaper in the house. The more David drew, the more he noticed. And the more he noticed, the more he drew. Growing up in a Britain during World War II, life was often difficult but David found joy in creating works of art. After graduating from the Royal College of Arts in London, he moved to Hollywood, a place that felt brighter and cleaner and more exciting than life in England. It was also more accepting of gay people, and David Hockney became one of the first artists to depict gay people in paintings. As he became older and after numerous friends died from AIDS, he moved back to Britain. But he kept painting pictures, finding ways to to create art using new technologies, even his iPhone, and designing a stained-glass window for Westminster Abbey. David Hockney kept finding more and more beauty around him all his life. This picture book biography – illustrated in colored pencil, gouache and crayon – is recommended for art lovers of all ages.Â