Did I ever tell you that I'm married to an artist? It has never been hard to be a working artist in this home because my husband, Wade, has always understood my passion to create. From the early days of getting to know each other, I knew he was a creative, like I am. Only his creativity has its outlet in horsepower.

Five years ago we took a drive out in the country and he spotted a rusty old truck in a field. (I've given up on pointing out rusty vehicles in the bush, because I can never tell which ones are "cool" and which he considers rightly abandoned.) He did a little detective work to find the owner, and a few days later we were waist-deep in grass, winching a 1938 Fargo pickup out of the bush.

Like any important project, the Fargo sat for a long time before he was able to make a plan for its reincarnation as a cool hot rod. There were frustrating sessions on the internet, searching for parts, months of saving money for the next big ticket item on the restoration shopping list, Pinterest boards full of "rat rods" and even a road trip into the United States to pick up a hemi engine from a guy he met online. Wade's been frustrated many times by how long a build can take when you are fitting it in after 12-hour workdays, raising a family and caring for a home and yard, and by the solitary nature of the project. It was very exciting to realize this spring that this was the year. 2014 was going to be the year the rat rod went to the car show!

A couple of weeks ago he got the motor running. Then the truck went on its first test drive.

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Finishing touches were added to the interior (I helped stencil the coffee sack seats!), and on Sunday we loaded the truck on a trailer and took it into Dawson Creek for the Mile Zero Cruisers' annual show & shine. It was Wade's day to shine (at least, metaphorically) and I loved being able to be a part of his entry to local car culture, to hear the comments from the crowd and meet some really interesting car guys.

Not everyone understands the "rat rod" thing. "What colour are you going to paint it?" a few people asked. But many more appreciated the creativity that goes into creating a truck that's an homage to big motors and loud noise, something that is completely unique and an expression of its builder. As a watercolour painter, I may not actually appreciate the noise part, but the individuality is something I can always get behind. I'm pretty proud of my guy, and I can't wait to see what he'll build next.

Art & the Hot Rod Guy

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