LISSA ALEXANDER
reporter@pqbnews.com
Yvonne Acheson’s bright and captivating West Coast art work can be found on canvases, surf boards, tables and wood boxes around the Island and it all stemmed from a mural and her son’s wall six years ago.
The artwork was being done by Qualicum Beach artist Sabine Kearns and she asked Acheson to help her complete the painting.
“When [Kearns] came to do the mural she had all these colours, beautiful greens and blues, and I learned how to blend them,” she said. “I realized then, I want more of this all over our house.”
As a mother of two boys and a busy piano teacher, Acheson didn't have time to get into painting at that time. But when her husband bought her an easel for Christmas in 2012, that was it, she said, she would make time.
Yvonne’s husband Lorne is a surfboard shaper and works out of his homemade shop in their backyard.
Yvonne and Lorne lived in Tsawwassen before making the move to Parksville in 2009. Yvonne said they loved coming over to the Island and enjoyed the ferry ride so much that they would sometimes just take the boat back and forth without getting off.
"So Lorne proposed on the ferry in [the year] 2000," she laughed.
The couple housesat for their friends, owners of Island Surf Company in Hilliers, for a few months nearly a decade ago and while there Lorne built his first board. A couple years later he started getting really into it, he said.
Lorne has now been crafting surf boards for about seven years. About eight months ago Lorne got an order for a surfboard in which the client wanted a fern design featured on the back.
"Resin tinting is hard to do and it wouldn't have looked good,” Lorne said. “So I thought, I wonder if Yvonne could draw one. And it turned out really good."
Since then the couple has collaborated on a few surfboards, some wood box paintings and even a table featuring Yvonne’s artwork and glassed in with resin. But that’s between their full time jobs and taking care of their two children.
“The moment we have more time we're going to be doing more together,” Yvonne said.
In the meantime, check out Yvonne’s work on her Facebook page: Yvonne Acheson Artwork or find her art pieces at the Salish Sea Market in Bowser, Island Exposures Gallery in Parksville, HTO in Victoria and Surf Sister in Tofino. She’ll also be at the Craig Street Market this Summer.
Behold Lorne’s surfboards at www.arksurfboards.com or find his boards at Island Surf Co. in Hilliers, the Long Beach Surf Shop in Tofino and Ucluelet and at HTO in Victoria.