by Jo Barnes | photo by Kathryn Alvarez Photography –
Stars are described as confetti. Birds are depicted as clouds. A protagonist has a nose that is part beetle, part frog. The words on the page are playful and wonderfully augmented with whimsical images.
For years now, local artist Wendy Picken has been expressing her imagination through her work using Stabilo crayon, pastel, and wax polish with her fingers. However, recently she has combined her art skills with the written word as she explores the world of storytelling, elaborating her words with fantastical illustrations.
“I hear certain words and I get a picture in my mind,” relates Wendy. “I’ve always been fascinated by drawings and illustrations.”
Since moving to the West Coast in 1983, Wendy has become well known for her prints and cards, and her recent foray into authoring books has allowed her to add new elements to her ongoing creative journey.
“I don’t think of myself as a children’s writer,” she says. “It’s more about finding the child in the adult and enjoying being
young at heart.”
Her 2007 book Grandma’s Pearl Soup and Grandpa’s Mango Smile is the story of a little girl who spends the weekend with her grandparents sharing stories, smiles and heartfelt talks about family and the seasons of life. Wendy’s vibrant illustrations enhance the emotional undertones and underscore the humour, both of which reflect the true story behind them.
“I remember my grandfather dancing around the kitchen and singing and my grandma baking bread. I wanted to remember this,” she notes. “I condensed 47 years of the time I spent with them. The little girl in the story has artistic and creative influences in her life, loosely based on my life experience.”
As a child, Wendy loved books and was especially drawn to the images she saw. “My mom gave me books from when she was a child. I had scribbled in them with crayons,” she notes. “I was fascinated by illustrations and drawings.”
For Wendy, however, this fascination was more than just an appreciation of art. For her, it was a deeper exhilarating experience. She recalls one childhood moment looking at the art on the walls of a doctor’s office. “I looked up at the walls where there were reproductions of art,” she says. “I yelled ‘That’s what I want to do!’ I was about three-and-a-half years old.”
Those powerful feelings would repeat throughout her lifetime and serve as the impetus to engage in visual arts. As a teen, she took art classes at Winnipeg Art Gallery, and later, studied Visual Arts at the University of Victoria. She also attended poetry readings locally where she discovered other forms of personal expression that impacted her.
“I went to poetry readings. It would ignite the visual for me,” Wendy remarks. “When the words entered my ear, it was like electricity.”
Being creative has not only been personally rewarding, but it has also been her lifeline. A visual condition left Wendy almost blind at one point, and writing helped her weather the journey. “When my vision shut down, writing anchored me to the creative process,” she remarks.
Her new book, Rainbees & Honeybows, released in October of 2022, is a fairy tale about self identity, and it takes the reader on a journey through a variety of sites and settings.
“The book is a magical exploration, all the things I love and cherish about the West Coast,” shares Wendy. “The main character is Angelina Carolina Wilhelmina Figs, and her journey encompasses things I love about Vancouver Island.”
Again, Wendy’s colourful, whimsical illustrations bring the story to life, but here they also reflect Vancouver Island’s unique wildlife and natural beauty. “The Island is a magical place,” she says. “I come from the prairies where it’s expansive and immense, and you have a different relationship with things there. Here you have an intimacy with the landscape.”
Vancouver Island readers will recognize local names and geographical sites like the central character’s residence at Beacon Hill Park or her visit to places like China Beach and Fairy Lake.
In much the same way that she creates with colours and shapes in her pictures, Wendy enjoys wordplay too.
“I thought an interesting twist to the words “Rainbows and Honeybees” could be “Rainbees and Honeybows,” she says.
The writing journey has been one of determination and resilience. “It took me 10 years to write. Motivation was a challenge. I had doubt about finishing the piece,” she shares. “I worked with Lorraine Douglas who did the calligraphy, and her excitement kept me motivated.”
The book, however, has brought great satisfaction for Wendy. Recently she was informed that it will be part of the Greater Victoria Public Library Emerging Authors collection for 2023.
As a child, pictures captivated Wendy’s imagination prompting her to pick up a crayon and draw. Now, after a lifetime of creating art images, her pictures and words seek to capture the imagination of a new generation.
Rainbees & Honeybows is available locally at Tanner’s Books, The Fickle Fig Farm Market and Brentwood Bay Village Empourium. Wendy’s work will be exhibited at The Village Gallery in Sidney throughout March. For more information visit www.mangosmilestudio.com.
