“Shoal” by June Yun
For a dose of springtime serenity, visit Art Beatus to see cool, watery landscapes by Chinese-Canadian artist June Yun (to May 31). In Spring • Water, the Vancouver-based artist uses oils on canvas to explore water in its various forms and colours (“Shoal,” pictured). Look closely: continuing from her Lemon Traveling series, Yun’s paintings are sometimes accompanied by a tiny lemon. We love the playful pop of unexpected colour.—Jill Von Sprecken
MAY 3-28 Late last year a group of artist mothers, affiliated through Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (MAWA), assigned themselves a month-long daily artwork challenge. Mothers Dailiness is a glimpse of the result, a multi-disciplinary collection of sketches, poems, sculptures, photographs and paintings. Concepts explored include how ideas and images develop over time; and the manifestation of motherhood as expressed in stuffed toys embedded with personality; and medals crafted to commemorate mothering achievements. MAWA, 611 Main St, 204-949-9490.
Charles John Collings’ “Niagara, Above the Falls.” Exhibition at Uno Langmann Limited
If Hope at Dawn: Watercolours by Emily Carr and Charles John Collings at the Vancouver Art Gallery (to May 26) leaves you yearning for more, stop by Uno Langmann Limited to view additional pieces by the British-born Charles John Collings in a complementary self-titled exhibition (to Mar 31). The Canadian artist lent an ethereal quality to his landscapes by mixing the paint directly onto water-soaked paper (“Niagara, Above the Falls,” pictured). Dreamy, indeed.—Kristina Urquhart
JANUARY 18-29 Hans Holbein the Younger’s 1538 Dance of Death woodcuts series is revived through local painter Louise Valcourt’s modern interpretation. Her contemporary acrylic and gold leaf Dance of Death also depicts humans confronted by their own mortality but replaces religious characters with media and celebrity dominant in today’s society. At cre8ery. 2nd flr, 125 Adelaide St.
“Cannonball no. 47″ by Rebecca Kinkead, at Whistler Village Art Gallery
Rebecca Kinkead makes a splash at Whistler Village Art Gallery with her encaustic paintings, which are created using pigmented wax. The American artist’s thick, bright pieces are rife with childhood moments (“Cannonball no. 47,” pictured), and she leaves faces blank to encourage people to insert themselves into her works. Enjoy your trip down memory lane.—Kristina Urquhart
“Untitled” by Sabine Simons
Arts off Main is spreading some cheer this holiday season. On Dec. 15 and 16, gallery artists including Lee Sanger and Sabine Simons (“Untitled,” pictured) donate 10 per cent of their sales to the food bank, and as of Dec. 1, visitors to the gallery can bring in non-perishable items to help fund the drive. While in the area, don’t miss Flake Out on Main Street (Dec. 15 to 23), a competition to determine the ‘hood’s best-decorated business.—Kristina Urquhart
“Whistler 2010″ by Kal Gajoum
For a lasting souvenir, pick up a piece of local artwork from The Plaza Galleries. Vancouver painter and printmaker Kal Gajoum captures the spirit of Whistler Village with his limited-edition “Whistler 2010” giclée print (pictured). These fine digital prints have no visible dot pattern, so they convey all the textures and tones of the original painting, which Gajoum creates using a palette knife. He highlights the prints by hand to finish them, making pieces that truly pop.—Kristina Urquhart
“Looking Ahead” by Ross Penhall
See Canadian landscapes reinterpreted in New Paintings by Ross Penhall at Gallery Jones Fine Arts (Nov. 1 to 24). The local artist often eliminates unnecessary details from his oil paintings, focusing on basic elements, strong colour choices and light sources to create atmosphere (“Looking Ahead,” pictured).—Kristina Urquhart
“Rainy Peonies” by Jamie Evrard
Step into a garden oasis this month at South Granville’s Bau-Xi Gallery. Local artist Jamie Evrard takes cues from Mother Nature with her new self-titled exhibit of oil-on-canvas paintings (Sep. 6 to 22). Evrard is well known for her dreamy florals and soft still lifes. Everyday objects take on a quiet mystery, and the fleeting beauty of nature is captured with loose brushstrokes that drip and blur (“Rainy Peonies,” pictured).—Karina Palmitesta
“Shell Series No. 2″ by Robert Florian
Cool off this summer with a water-themed exhibit at Art Works Gallery. Local artists are making a splash in Overboard (Aug. 14 to Sep. 6), which features all things true blue, including luminous paintings of aquatic life, wild seascapes and striking shell collections (“Shell Series No. 2” by Robert Florian, pictured). Whether you get lost in Marie Danielle Leblanc’s bright abstracts, Corrinne Wolcoski’s serene horizons or Steve Fortier’s graphic reflections, this show is a sweet escape from the sweltering sun.—Kristina Urquhart
“Bush Party” by Gavin Lynch
Let your hair down at Beach Party, artist Gavin Lynch’s new exhibit at Elissa Cristall Gallery (Aug. 2 to 25). Riotous colour and playful energy dominate his oil and acrylic paintings; you can practically hear the music pounding in the jam-packed outdoor concert scene “Bush Party” (pictured).—Karina Palmitesta
"Moon Mask Dancers" by Henry Speck. Photo courtesy Museum of Anthropology
The inspiring watercolours of Chief Henry Speck (“Moon Mask Dancers,” pictured) first caught the public eye when exhibited nearly 50 years ago. Speck passed away in 1971, but his work endures and is the subject of PROJECTIONS: The Paintings of Henry Speck, Udzi’stalis at the Satellite Gallery (Jul. 14 to Sep. 15). The expanded exhibit includes his famous paintings, large-scale projections and a multimedia backstory.—Jennifer Patterson