EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 16 © 2016 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition)

64 to rest on their laurels. Even after five decades of performing at the highest level in the business as Will had done, there was always more to learn. Will Davies was born on July 12, 1924 in Belleville, Ontario, the youngest of Olive and Joe Davies’ three children. Being the youngest, Will had less time to get to know his father than did his older siblings, Gordon and Olivia. Joe Davies, a conductor for the Canadian National Railway, died when Will was just four years old – infection took him two years after he suffered a terrible workplace accident that resulted in a leg amputation. That tragedy was exacerbated by the rail company’s refusal to pay Will’s mother any death benefits. The accident happened moments after Joe Davies’ shift had ended, so CNR took advantage of a legal loophole, successfully claiming Davies hadn’t died ‘on the job.’ “That was a hard time for our family,” said Will when he told the story years later. ABOVE AND FACING PAGE: Drawing and painting from life has been a constant passion for Davies as he has honed and refined his mastery of figure work. Great draughtsmanship is like any other form of exercise, it requires constant practice and Will Davies is a great exemplar of this mind-set.