Brent Harpur – The Blind Cartoonist

22 Mar 2011: I recently interviewed Brent Harpur at his Art Space in Sydney’s hip suburb of Newtown.

The room we sat in certainly matched the trendy surroundings of Newtown, with its colourful paintings of flowers, butterflies and cartoons on the walls. Mostly, which have been painted by Brent himself, and some by his friends.

Brent was born in New Zealand, and is classed as legally blind. He has a hereditary corneal eye disease called Keratikonis. He has required numerous eye surgeries to save his sight. Some of which have worked, others that have rejected. He is now faced with the possibility of losing his eyesight completely, which will require more surgeries to attempt to save it.

Despite all this, he still paints, writes poetry and teaches children with learning difficulties, how to draw. He has many hopes and goals for his life, as well as with his art.

I talk to Brent about his career and life as a legally blind cartoonist, to view my interview with Brent, please click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-s2dmVFzQI

Brent's website address is: www.brentharpur.co.nz - Please take a look at it. There you will be able to see all of his artworks, see what he's up to, contact Brent and find out how to book for his upcoming children's school holiday cartooning classes in April!

A painting that is part of a two part set


Brent Harpur original


Brent and I with the final product


Now drawing Ryan - 'The Camera Guy'


He's very fast


Almost done


The finished product!


Cartoons drawn by Brent in Brazil


Cartoons drawn by Brent in Brazil


Seascape (The mixture of mediums that Brent discusses in our interview)


A picture Brent painted for a friend's daughter