A Brush with the Law

After 31 years as a litigator for the Government of Canada, Derek Aylen retired in 1988 to follow his muse. He now enjoys a successful career as a painter and printmaker.

Aylen's artistic passion and ability were evident from an early age. As a boy he attended art classes at the National Gallery of Canada; later he studied art under Arthur Lismer of the Group of Seven and Henri Masson.

Aylen doesn't see many parallels between his two careers, but he does acknowledge they reflect different elements of his true nature. "Art tends to be intuitive; law tends to be rational," he says. "My finest works have always been rooted in my heart or my soul, and my best arguments were always rooted in my head, and were based on logic."

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