E.J. Hughes began studying at the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Art in 1929, graduating in 1933. He completed post-graduate studies there in 1934 and 1935. E.J. Hughes returned to the view of Howe Sound from Hopkins Landing repeatedly over the course of his career, this pencil sketch marking the earliest treatment of the subject. In 1935 he reinterpreted the view as an etching, followed in 1952 by an oil on canvas and fifty years later, in 2002, Hughes revisited the subject once more in watercolour, demonstrating its enduring personal and artistic significance.

The Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts (VSDAA) opened on October 1, 1925, marking the beginning of formalized art education in the city. Founded through the efforts of the British Columbia Society of Fine Arts, the school was a response to Vancouver’s rapid growth and the need for cultural institutions. Under its first director, Charles H. Scott, and with prominent faculty including Jock Macdonald and Fred Varley, the VSDAA quickly became a centre of artistic activity. A vibrant social and intellectual community grew around the school, supported by figures such as John Vanderpant and Harold Mortimer Lamb. In 1933 the school was renamed the Vancouver School of Art, and over the decades it continued to expand, eventually becoming Emily Carr University of Art + Design. In 2025 the institution celebrates its centenary, a testament to its enduring role in shaping the cultural landscape of Vancouver and beyond.