As many people in their 20’s do, I dabbled in creating art in the late 80’s. I was living the bachelor girl life at the Commercial Drive ‘hood after breaking up with my very long-term first love at age 25. The soundtrack was the debut Sons Of Freedom album, Classic Rock (I was still working on my musical education), and, of course the best British band that ever came out of Memphis. I landed my primo job as a Telephone Operator and life was pretty good.

My artistic implements were pencil crayons, collage, and photocopy (extremely 80’s!) I took the  pseudonym Jaye. (the period being a crucial aspect of the signature, of course.) I only kept it up for a few years but had fun. I actually had a few showings, one based on superheroes, which the Comicshop on West 4th, let me hang for a few months. Also, a solo show on the wall at Fettuccine’s restaurant on The Drive, which was mostly music related, featuring vivid colour xeroxes of the originals. Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Jim Morrison (ha!), U2 were all fodder. I even sold a few, five?, for a whopping $15.00 each. I was chuffed.

Here’s some of Jaye’s best including my Big Star related stuff; a Bruce Springsteen lyric; and a few about Iggy. Also the piece of art I’m most proud of, an image I found is framed by one of Lynda Barry’s most famous strips titled “did I see it?” Lynda’s Ernie Pook’s Comeek came out weekly in The Georgia Straight. This particular strip, more poignant then usual, dealt with incest.

I was most dismayed, the following week, to read a letter to the Editor of the Straight blasting the perceived insensitivity of Barry, signed by over a dozen women. I believe the cartoonists intention couldn’t have been further from these allegations. I felt empathy for the women who wrote, yet believe they really missed the true message.