Brava!

This week, I am delighted to present a fresh, new look for my blog featuring a drawing by my dear friend, Bernie Lyon. 

I asked Bernie if she would be interested in creating an image to replace the one she did of my darling Riley and me in 2011 — which is when I first started writing the blog. Happily, she accepted the assignment, because I am thrilled with the drawing.

It illustrates where I am now — in my "Brave Neuf World" — enjoying retirement on beautiful Vancouver Island, out walking, meeting new folks, absorbing nature. 

Bernie says that it illustrates what my blog is all about — that I notice little details (note my binoculars!) So, she has zeroed in on my subtitle: "Field Notes from Life's Little Moments." It's me — like a bird watcher, observing my world and the characters in it — noting what is going on all around — reacting to the more arcane, mundane, goofy, extraordinary things that life throws our way. But, B, my friend, I'd like to remind you that I learned a great degree of that from you!

Bernie and I first intersected in the early 80s, at a moment when she was teaching Continuing Ed courses at Langara College in Vancouver and I was hoping to revive a dormant pastime. Bernie's great gift as a teacher and an artist is her ability to see — and showing her students how to do that as well — not merely just to look at a subject, but truly see the line, the form, the nugget of what is there — and translate it with freedom, humour, joy, and ultimately, love. I have come to believe since then that the true purpose of art is to make us see — within or without — and if not always joyfully, always to stop and observe. 

A few years later, when I was an instructor in the design program at Kwanten College, (now Kwanten Polytechnic University) I recommended Bernie when a spot came up for someone to teach drawing. We had such a blast teaching together — creating mischief — devising all kinds of creative projects for our students — and for ourselves. She is brilliant at constructing conceptual elements for events, parties, gifts, and costumes. When I left Kwanten for other horizons, Bernie themed my going-away bash as "Lesley"s Diner," with a giant "neon" banner and a proper diner apron with a pocket for a waitress's order pad and pencil that she made for me — and which I still have. 

Bernie's illustrations of her beloved hometown of Vancouver have tickled me tremendously over the years. She is so precise in creating gesture and character in exquisite detail and with such an economy of meaningful line that you have to smile at how articulate she's been at drawing familiar places and people.

Bernie says that she has always loved black and white drawings, even as a kid poring over children's books containing 19th century ink drawings and etchings, and longing to create those worlds herself. After Vancouver Art School, she went on to become a courtroom sketch artist for television news, and began to illustrate for Vancouver magazine. Her work has been featured in numerous magazines, several books, and local newspapers, and she has taught for many years. Bernie is retired, cultivates an amazing garden, volunteers with a kids' discovery program at Van Dusen Gardens, takes interesting courses at Simon Fraser University, and now draws only for pleasure, still loving black and white line work.

She and I have kept up a faithful, lively — and highly detailed — email correspondence for more than 20 years. 

For your friendship and for this wonderful drawing — thank you, Bernie!