About the Artist

 My name is Vern and I was born in a small town in the interior of beautiful British Columbia, now living in Surrey, BC, Canada.  I have been living with Crohn's Disease since 1988 after 20 years of rarely even catching a cold.  Prior to diagnosis, I was a competitive figure skater, some might say I was a "rink rat" growing up, winning and placing in several local and regional competitions.

      It took many months, several doctors and even more days and nights of lying in the fetal position on my bed (or the floor) from the intense pain, before I was finally diagnosed properly and I've heard them all from, "It's all in your head" to "It's just gas".  It was devastating news to fathom, especially when I put forward the question, "How do I fix it?" and the doctor replied "Unfortunately there is no cure".
Since 1988, I have had numerous surgeries, resections, abscesses, fistulas, fissures, kidney stones, obstructions, fatigue, dehydration and many other "minor" complications.  I, like many other after diagnosis, went through the "why me?!" phase, followed by the "wtf!!" phase and now I'm at the "c'mon, really?!" phase.

In 2009, I started a blog about living with Crohn's Disease, Crohn's - Leaving the Seat Down as a "diary" of sort, but also so others living Crohns or Colitis can read about my experiences, struggles and achievements.

     Other than the Crohn's, I'm healthy.

      I started painting in 2010 as part of my own 'art therapy' to try and take my mind off of the daily blah of Crohn's.  I can put paint to canvas and paint what I feel at that moment in time.  I like to experiment with different techniques and applicators.   In the beginning, I painted for me, but then discovered that others liked my work as well.  So here I am.  Maybe my artwork will make others happy and take their minds off the pain, whatever your pain is, even for a little while.