Siwash Rock, a colour aquatint by Nicholas Hornyanksy. As indicated by an attached slip of paper, this print appears to have been a gift from Globe Envelopes Limited, for Christmas of 1946. From the web:

Nicholas Hornyansky was born in Budapest and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest. He emigrated to Canada in 1929, settling in Toronto. He became a popular and award-winning Canadian artist and printmaker, exhibiting with the Royal Canadian Academy, the Ontario Society of Artists, the California Printmakers, the Philadelphia Society of Etchers, and numerous other venues. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy and taught printmaking at the Ontario College of Art. His work is in major public collections including the National Gallery of Canada and the Royal Ontario Museum.

Thanks, craigslister!

Smoke break on the back deck, a print by Tosh Toru Sugita (yep, I was wrong! I also made up the title). The print is actually titled From Cottage, and it’s dated 1998, not 1978. I did have the numbering correct; it’s definitely the 4th print out of a total of 50. This print was purchased from a second hand shop in Vancouver recently, and I have no other information about the work, aside from the fact that it was framed very nicely. I’ve also asked on Facebook at the Dundarave Print Workshop & Gallery page (located on Granville Island) if anyone recognizes the name.

This may be the first post which I can’t actually substantiate as positively being from Vancouver, but since I found it here in Vancouver, and the subject matter seems appropriate, I’d like to believe it’s from here. I was originally going to title it Woman on the back deck, but I can’t be entirely sure of that either; it may just be someone with long hair, a hat, and baggy clothes!

On somewhat of a derivative note, take a look at this current show at the Shooting Gallery in San Francisco titled “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” featuring work by Parisian street artist Christian Guémy (aka C215) focusing on the iconography of smoking ads and images.

Happy New Year everyone! You may see less of me on Tumblr this year, but I love you just the same! May this coming year bring you all good cheer!

UPDATE! Scandalous! This is not, in fact, Vancouver! Thanks to Andrea for tracking down the artist, Toru Sugita. He was born in Shiga, Japan, studied in Kyoto, and since the 1990s he has been residing in the San Fransisco Bay area. I think it’s rather amusing how I was able to project certain local traits into the work, making me believe it might be from here. I suppose my next post of the Vancouver Special pop-up book should make up for any lack of local content. One thing remains - it is a very nice print, and Toru is a fine print maker! I shall keep this print in the collection in his honour (and as a reminder to myself that I sometimes make mistakes!)

Toru wrote to me, mentioning that he has in fact been to the Dundarave Print Workshop on Granville Island when he had a show at the ArtBeatus Gallery in 2002. He informs me that the subject is actually Calistoga, California, and the woman on the deck is his friend visiting from Japan. He also concedes that Vancouver has the much of the same type of light and architecture as southern California, so there you have it! Full circle! : )

The cover of the December 2011 Buzzer by Dani Vachon. More samples of her fine vector poster art, traced poster designs, and hand-drawn posters here on her site.

Santa visits Christ Church, one of a series of 6 Christmas offerings by artist Barb Wood. From her blog:

These fun creations are now available at:

“Oh Brothers” at 2575 W Broadway, 604-738-6695 Google map
“Framagraphic” at 1116 W Broadway, 604-685-2525 Google map
“Davie Art Shop” at 1242 Davie Street, 604-683-3415 Google map
And at Barb’s studio, please just call first: 604-685-2525

For more, visit www.barbwoodgraphics.com.

717 East Pender by Marlene Yuen, a book artist, and seen at the Alcuin Society Wayzgoose 2011. From the limited edition accordion book A Haunting History of Vancouver, hand printed silkscreen images with glow-in-the-dark ink, published October, 2011.

The Burrard Bridge by Susan Gransby, a monoprint on paper for sale at Levis Online Auctions tomorrow. From her gallery bio, “She graduated with Honours in Printmaking from the Vancouver School of Art in 1979 and in Philosophy from UBC.” She writes:

“Urban and industrial structures and architecture have always attracted me. Sometimes it’s a single object, such as the Alexandra Bandstand at English Bay or a crane on the Fraser River or Hong Kong construction site. Other times I enjoy picking out favourite fragments of a building or district and floating them in imagined spaces. Curator Roger Boulet once described my work as “a refreshingly uncomplicated vision with a relaxed and easy intimacy.” Exploring the city is an adventure and I hope I can impart my discoveries in a playful way. Printmaking provides the ideal process by which to narrow down the endless subjects around me.”

B.C. Residences at Vancouver, a lithograph print from the Peter Winkworth Collection of Canadiana based on a photo by JA Brock and Co., currently in the Library and Archives Canada. Featuring Mr. Abbott’s and Mr. Ferguson’s houses, exact location unknown, no doubt now replaced by a condo or two.

Update: Thanks to the comment from ChangingCity below, we’ve just learned this was at the corner of Jervis and West Georgia St. Furthermore, as per the comment below, though Mr Ferguson’s house (right) was lost many years ago, Mr Abbott’s house (left) is still there - albeit heavily ‘restored’ as part of the Residences on Georgia built in 1998. More about A G Ferguson on the BuildingVancouver blog, and more about Mr Abbott on this flickr photo page (hint: think Abbott Street!).

Update again! I just learned this lithograph appeared in the Portland magazine, The West Shore exactly as above in the June, 1887 issue. This issue is in the Chung Collection, and lots more issues are on microfilm at UBC Koerner Library, microforms storage (Floor 2) AW1 .R5326 (not on the open shelf; you need to ask for it to be retrieved from storage) AND at the VPL.

Higher Rises, block print limited to an edition of 30, by Gary Sim, issued November 2005. “A view near my apartment, in a harbourside neighbourhood that is slowly transitioning from old-style low-rise residences into new high rises.” Available here.

Urban Tiger, a print by Kelly Haydon featuring the Ford/Dawson Building at 375 Main Street, and a cat, cross-posted at VancouverIsAwesome.com.