>> Jillian Player
Visual artist Deryk Houston and his wife, glass artist Elizabeth Wellburn, live just outside the border of Fernwood. I want to include them as Fernwood artists because Deryk has done so much for this community. He was one of the early art contributors to the Cornerstone Cafe, painting some of his large canvasses in the square, and a key member of Collective Works Gallery until its closure. And like many in Fernwood, he is on a mission for peace, community, and the rights of children.
Deryk’s diverse artwork, stretching back to the eighties, has one thing in common: peace. This interest in exploring peace through art is manifested through many different modes, from pastoral landscapes to large-scale abstract paintings, and from sculpture to gigantic land art. He was the subject of a documentary created by the National Film Board of Canada, titled From Baghdad to Peace Country. In 1999, unable to remain an outside observer of the crisis in Iraq, Deryk travelled to witness first-hand the impact of international sanctions on the Iraqi people. Compelled to speak out, he embarked upon a unique nature art project designed to call attention to the sanctions and the conditions they created for the children of Iraq. Deryk created large-scale earthworks in the image of a mother and child in diverse landscapes around the world, some so large they can be seen on Google Earth.
His most recent project has been his labour of love for the last three years. He is creating a sculpture garden, called The Peace Garden, at Woodwyn Farm in Brentwood Bay. Deryk, with the help of his family and friends, has been creating an art installation garden around a sage-lined labyrinth. At the centre of the labyrinth is a slender steel sculpture reaching skyward. Other sculptures in driftwood, bronze, stone, and metal are scattered in strategic points around the labyrinth, creating a curious, meditative experience. Also at this time, Deryk has an exhibition at Artworks Gallery in Vancouver. This series of paintings are inspired by the music of the Beatles. Whether it’s through painting, sculpting, illustrating books, or driving a tractor, Deryk has one mission: to change the world through art.
