Articles

We’re Taking Steps to Re-Opening Our Stores

UPDATE AS OF MAY 14th 2020   We at Opus are so pleased that British Columbians have slowed the curve of COVID-19 – and that we did it together. We are saddened by the people that we lost to this... Read More

Landscapes Through Light & Shadow

Nature brings me into the present and really stops me, focusses me and centres me. It solves a lot of problems and is a vehicle to get me out of my head and then back into it. Wild landscapes are... Read More

Connecting Creative Communities

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been exploring the different ways you’ve been adapting your creativity and practice to the lifestyle changes brought on by Covid-19. Art is a mighty tool. Through it, we have the power to reflect... Read More

Looking To Nature To See Ourselves

Whenever I’m in nature, be it in my yard or a remote and wild place, I feel uplifted, happy and inspired. When I paint, I connect with these experiences so I can share them with others.   I grew up... Read More

Coping Through Creativity

We’re discovering how creativity is helping us cope with these unprecedented times. Over the past week, you’ve been sharing some wonderful ideas and inspiring stories. The response has been incredible and we’d like to thank everyone for sending in their... Read More

Finding The Perfect Canvas

“Many painters are afraid in front of the blank canvas, but the blank canvas is afraid of the real, passionate painter who dares and who has broken the spell of ‘you can’t’, once and for all.” – Vincent van Gogh Wise... Read More

Bursting with Vibrant New Colours – Opus Essential Oil Paints

Our Opus Essential Oil Paints just got a promotion! We are very proud to introduce the New & Improved Opus Essential Oil Paints as the latest addition to our Opus Essential paint family.       Manufactured in North America... Read More

Inviting Creativity Home

  “Closed in a room, imagination becomes my universe.” ~Criss Jami   Although these difficult times have pushed us all indoors, unexpected restrictions can still provide new opportunities. It goes without saying that keeping focussed on something constructive like painting... Read More

Gamblin Reclaimed Earth COLORS

Every speck of pigment in these tubes has been painstakingly reclaimed from waters tainted by iron released from mines. Iron oxides make lightfast, natural, and safe oil paints. We want to put them where they belong. On your palette. Three... Read More

Colour On The Move

Shaking up the familiar with alternate visions of the world     By awakening new understandings and raising consciousness, street art can re-engage the viewer with their environment. Vancouver artist Sherri Rogers documents these colourful encounters, juxtaposing both natural and... Read More

Cadmium-Free Water Colour: Another Innovation from Winsor & Newton

Winsor & Newton’s innovation has always been driven by artists’ needs – from developing the first glycerine-based moist water colours in 1835, to introducing glass syringes to hold oil colour, in place of pigs’ bladders in 1840. The first to... Read More

Nature’s Abstractions

British Columbia boasts some of the most beautiful and unique terrain on the planet. This wild landscape, even in its urban form, has long entranced its inhabitants and inspired generations of artists.  Whilst there are many ways of expressing our... Read More

Just Imagine…

Unleashing your Creative Potential in the Promise of the New Year As we approach the new year and the creative possibilities that lie ahead, it’s a great time to reflect on our ideas – where they come from and where... Read More

Opus Daily Practice Challenge

  Join us from February 1–29 and be a part of the Opus Daily Practice Challenge! Practice makes progress! Connect with your arts community, keep your creative momentum up with a daily challenge throughout the month of February, and imagine... Read More

The Greatest Gift

Art therapy can facilitate conversations. Clients – from people with mental health challenges to women and children fleeing abuse – are encouraged to express themselves creatively; the therapist then uses the work as a springboard for discussions about what the... Read More

Sowing the Seeds of Wonder

Emily Carr graduate Nicole Dextras is an award-winning Vancouver-based artist. She cleverly transforms natural materials into elaborate and highly imaginative costumes, characters and supernatural universes, promoting a message of self-sufficiency as an alternative method of sustainability. Creating a sense of... Read More

Face it, Portraits Speak Volumes

LAUREN BREVNER Divine Skin – Oils, Acrylic, metal leaf, resin, and mixed media on wood panel “I find that people are endlessly fascinating and there is so much to explore within portraiture.”   Why is it important to you and... Read More

Growing Up Together: A Tribute to Artists & Art Forms

In celebration of our 45th anniversary at Opus, we connected with eight artists who have grown with Opus over the years, and got a look into their lives as artists. Images will expand when clicked on.    Joe Coffey |... Read More

Celebrating 45 Years: How Opus Got Its Start in 1974

Opus Art Supplies founder David van Berckel looks back on how it all began, 45 years ago: It was the 1970s and I was a hippie. I had landed in Canada after getting my engineering degree in the UK and... Read More

How to Ice-Dye

We tried out ice dying as a new way to use pigment. This technique is great for a non-traditional looking tye-dye or a one of a kind print for fabric. The results can be as planned or as unexpected as... Read More

Summer Festivals & Community Events

Summertime is about “fun”. When late June rolls around and we look to the outdoors, feel the warmth of the sun on our skin, smell the freshly cut grass, and think about how to use our “down time”, the outdoors... Read More

Taka Sudo

We caught up with our cover artist and 2016 Vancouver Mural Festival artist, Taka Sudo in his studio to learn about his art. Contrasting elements are a major inspiration for Taka. His work mixes cityscapes with nature, neon colours with... Read More

Fresh Takes on Landscapes

Take a trip with watercolourists Leslie Redhead and Sandhu Singh, and oil painters Michael King and Ken Faulks! With their fresh takes on traditional mediums and a love of landscape, they share ways to break free and find your own... Read More

Creating a Sensory Experience Through Art

The Embrace by Marney-Rose Edge Fill your senses with Spring! Two artists share how their sensory experience of their subjects, flora and fauna, becomes part of their work, both in process and in the completed piece. Thank you to Marney-Rose... Read More

How to Paint a Blossom with Marney-Rose Edge

The Embrace by Marney-Rose Edge Marney-Rose Edge’s watercolour florals capture the delicacy of the blooms and juxtapose them with dramatic backgrounds. The results are stunning works filled with light, colour, and the beauty of nature. For the watermedia piece, The... Read More

Ideas for Decorative Papers

Our expanded selection decorative papers is offering inspiration this spring! In addition Japanese Chiyogami and tissue papers . Their beautiful and delicate patterns, interesting textures, and wide variety of colours offer you a plethora of creative possibilities, whether you’re making... Read More

Faber-Castell Week at Opus Art Supplies

Join us in-store from until Friday, April 12th to try out Faber-Castell products at our tester stations. We will provide materials and our knowledgeable staff will be present to help answer questions and provide guidance. Also, purchase a minimum of... Read More

April 2019 – Fill Your Senses With Spring

Let the beauty of spring’s blossoms open up your creativity! The watercolour florals of our featured cover artist in April, Marney-Rose Edge, capture the delicacy of the blooms and juxtapose them with dramatic backgrounds. The results are stunning works filled... Read More

Thank You for Sharing Your Gift in 2018!

The holiday season is a time for giving and receiving, and both have happened in abundance in the last few months thanks to your participation in our 2018 Share Your Gift Donation Drive. Your donations of lightly-used art supplies have... Read More

Working Studio: Staying organized with BC artist, Amy Stewart

Amy Stewart paints in her studio. More space, more art, more life! We visited the studio of artist Amy Stewart for an inspiring look at how a clean, organized studio space influences her art practice. Amy Stewart’s studio is located... Read More