The Artist & The Bicycle Man

About the Book

Perhaps surprisingly, all ages have been enjoying Doris Paterson’s “Willy Stories” because the short stories tell of the universal struggle of two people discovering each other and learning to live and love. And now the author’s collected stories about a bicycle-riding Dane and a British war bride have been compiled into The artist & the bicycle man.

Doris was raised in privileged surroundings in Hong Kong and England. She had 10 children in her previous marriage after emigrating from England at war’s end with her air force officer. She is careless with money, likes to work indoors in her studio, and thrives in social settings.

Willy is a witty, frugal man from Denmark who had never been married. He was devoted to riding his bike, finding bargains, and generally just being out in Nature. He rarely sought social situations.

These stories make a delightful read as you are taken along for the ride. Some are hilarious, some humbling, some full of hope. Sometimes confusing, often challenging, but ultimately and always enlightening, these short tales delve deep into our need for human interaction and love. It is their honest approach that makes them universal, allowing readers to connect with them on many levels.

About the Author

Doris J.Paterson is eighty-three years old and is known for her award-winning paintings and her writing. She was named "Woman of the year" for Mission BC in 2001 and a Pathfinder in 2005. She is a lifetime member of the Mission Arts Council and member of the Fraser Valley Chapter of the Canadian Federation of Artists.

Her books The Life Series and Willy and Me were published by Portage & Main Press in 1996.

She was born in England in 1924 and lived in Ireland, Hong Kong and across Canada. She presently resides in Mission B.C. She married a Canadian navigator in 1945 in England and came to Canada as a war-bride in 1946. They had ten children but were divorced in 1981.

The Mission Archives keeps all her records.

Juggling the demands of a large family, she took courses in painting wherever she and her husband were posted, moving nearly every two years. She looked for the "key" in painting — the something that would bring her satisfaction. A teacher in the States showed her how to use the sub-conscious in her work and from that time on, her paintings portray the spirit and mysticism.

She belonged to a writers’ group at the time she met Willy and wrote about their bumpy “getting together.” She jotted down his clever remarks and her feelings as she moved from the security of her apartment into something she had sworn not to do — living with another man.

Was it worth it? Read the book The artist & the bicycle man and find out.

You will be amongst an army of people who loved the first book, who take it on vacation to read yet again, and who put it on their coffee tables so guests can enjoy it. And they tell the author: "Thanks for letting us in to a wonderful read."