Draft:"Vancas Girls" Pinup and art illustration by Daniel Vancas

ABOUT THE ARTIST DANIEL VANCAS (American, 20th Century) Written by: Heritage Auction descriptions, and edited by the Artist Daniel Vancas, 6/2024

Daniel Vancas (b 1953) is known for his brightly colorful paintings of pinup girls, classic cars, vintage Americana, Hollywood Glamour, and a passion for Pin-Pp art. Daniel Vancas for more than 3 decades has brought Americana to life with his brush and hundreds of paintings collected worldwide. Also a writer of fiction, essays, and poetry the artist has avid appreciation for story-tellers. With art, he likes to weave visuals, with history and the styling periods of Art Deco to Mid Century Modern. Daniel Vancas captures the essence of the early 20th Century through post-war America. Known for his connection to the Elvgren pinup revival of the early 1990s, he restored and recreated over 260 paintings, and many of the lost works by Gil Elvgren. His unique original work is often inspired by his vintage styles pinup models, and scouring vintage photographs for ideas. Then adding his imagination to create iconic scenes with a mix of fact and fantasy. This is readily apparent in many paintings that celebrate the 1930s through 1950s, with pinup, glamour, Hollywood, and car and automobile culture. Or for aviation, like his, "Jean Harlow, 1937, Santa Monica" (Sold for $7,500 at Heritage Auctions, 2023), or "Flight to Mars" a painting features a vintage Signal gasoline station complete with a Coca-Cola sipping pin-up. This also sold for $ at Heritage Auctions 2022. However, the artist can't help but add a touch of fun to any subject. It could be a mermaid, or a vintage movie star or two. Even a nod to UFOs, the Space Race, Aviation, and the odd E.T. As for his strictly pinup art illustration he often relies on his favorite living models as much as vintage ones.

Though having started his professional artistic career later in life, he did benefit from 7 years of early education in fine arts and art photography. He took a class instructed by famed art photographer and director, Gordon Parks. The Artist praises Mr. Parks as the one who taught him to visually see and tell a story in a frame. Then capture the viewer by the use of unusual compositions, values shadows, and light. A California native Daniel Vancas is known throughout the world as a leader in pinup art and Americana scenes selling hundreds of paintings including commissions. He launched the popular Vanguard Gallery art gallery in 1992, and the first art gallery online in 1993. He focused on selling pinup art illustrations by Gil Elvgren, and Alberto Vargas, and his own "Vancas" artworks, and photography. His First Opening was in Carmel, California, where for 25 years he was seen painting in the front window of his gallery. One of his best locations in Carmel was in The Clint Eastwood building (Mr. Eastwood was his landlord) next to the Hogs Breath Inn. The public gallery closed after Mr. Eastwood sold the building. He is open for business, and continues his work in his private studios in Monterey, and Mar Vista, in Southern California (Near Santa Monica). The artist continues selling online at Vanguard-Gallery.com and on other selling sites. He has several art and creative writing pages on both Facebook and Instagram where his art offerings can be found. He counts actor Bruce Willis, Clint Eastwood, and Nike as some of his past clients and collectors. SOURCE MATERIAL: Heritage Auction description, edited by Daniel Vancas