Drawn: The Art of Ascent

Jeremy Collins is a professional artist and climber who found a way to capture the beauty of his adventures through a mix of stories, watercolours and personal photographs. In his new book, Collins finds a creative way to capture his travels to four distant destinations while he searches for closure.

The death of his longtime friend and climbing mentor leaves Collins searching for a way to honour and celebrate his passing. Setting his sights on four unclimbed routes, Collins makes it his duty to spread his friend’s ashes and document the process. Although all the climbs are only brief ly detailed, the art and storytelling that surrounds the adventure is remarkable and beautifully rendered. Collins’s eye for beauty moves the reader effortlessly through the pages of this well-crafted book and gives a firstperson perspective on the amazing locations he visits.

Filled with his distinct style of watercolour art and gonzo-style storytelling, the book is a joy to own. Collins creates an adventure that reads like a graphic novel, but is somehow reminiscent of a children’s fairy tale. At home on any coffee table, his paintings are always a pleasure to look at, some contain climbing topos that might even inspire your own adventure. As Collins puts it, this book will make any reader want to “be dareful out there.”