08-01-24

www.montereycountynow.com august 1-7 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 19 Los Angeles to Carmel Valley in the 1980s put her in the orbit of one of the most famous dog lovers of all time, singer and movie star Doris Day. The two teamed up to rescue hundreds of animals over a 30-year friendship. Unlike the plot of a Scooby-Doo episode, there is no mystery here, just a fascinating tale of a young girl who had a dream and a passion and worked hard to pursue both. Harvey’s story isn’t over yet. She’s still painting, as well as teaching others how to paint. And while she isn’t rescuing quite as many dogs and cats as she used to, she keeps busy caring for three rescue dogs and one cat, as well as enjoying the birds who flit around outside her studio window. ••• Harvey welcomes a visitor into her home, apologizing for the barking dogs secured in another room. The dogs came from someone who could no longer take care of them, a terrier named Shia LeWoof and two white chihuahuas, Bella and Casper. Harvey is aware of the Shia LeBouf/LeWoof pun, but admits with a laugh she doesn’t know who the actor is. She likes to think of her small pack as a family, with Shia, the biggest dog, as the father, Bella as the mother, and tiny Casper as “the baby.” There’s also a cat who as a stray emerged from the bushes in her front yard covered in twigs—Harvey decided “Twigs” would make a good name. The home, built in 1989, has wood-paneled walls covered with paintings, many by her late husband Maurice. There are also her own paintings—there’s a watercolor of some flowers, and still lifes on dark backgrounds. Harvey sits down on a floral couch underneath a portrait of herself as a young woman with dark hair dressed in a black gown with gold accents, painted by a friend in 1963. Harvey’s short hair is now gray and her smile is broad, her cheeks a rosy pink. She’s a friendly woman with a ready laugh and a self-deprecating sense of humor. At first she’s not sure anyone would want to hear about her life, but relents when reminded how excited people become when they learn she animated Scooby-Doo, as well as characters for other HannaBarbera shows and movies, including Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear and Charlotte, the spider from Charlotte’s Web. There are so many ways to begin Harvey’s story: growing up in England during World War II; her animation career; art career; the decades of rescuing animals, including her years teamed up with Day. “Yes, I’ve done so many different things,” she says, referring more to her career. “An artist’s life, you can’t just say, ‘Oh I want to do this or that.’ No, that doesn’t happen. You just take the jobs as they come.” She points to a book on the coffee table, a photo of a smiling Day on the cover. “Did I tell you I worked with this lady here? That was half my focus—since I’ve been here, anyway.” ••• Since both passions, art and animal rescue, were launched during her childhood in England, it seems a good place to start: Harvey was born in the town of Westcliff-On-Sea, in Essex, about 45 miles east of London, in the fall of 1933. The family included her mother— the first important Doris in her life— and her artist father, Charles. Harvey was the baby of the family, with a brother and two sisters. Her father taught art, woodworking and engineerHarvey’s first animation job in the U.S. was drawing and painting frames for ScoobyDoo Where Are You?, which premiered in 1969. She also animated other classic HannaBarbera characters, including Fred Flintstone and Yogi Bear. In addition, she animated Charlotte the spider in the film Charlotte’s Web. “An artist’s life, you can’t just say, ‘Oh I want to do this or that.’ No, that doesn’t happen. You just take the jobs as they come.” Daniel Dreifuss Daniel Dreifuss

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