 In May 1927, Surrey began to paint urban scenes in earnest, completing 300 mixed-media sketches within a year.He also continued to work at Brigdens, illustrating women’s wear for the 1928 and 1929 Eaton's Western Catalogue until the autumn of 1929, when he moved to Vancouver to work as a commercial artist at Cleland-Kent Engraving.In the evening he studied under Group of Seven painter Frederick Varley and Painters Eleven artist Jock Macdonald at the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts (now Emily Carr University of Art and Design).