Merry Christmas

This one is from 2005, painted en plein air in oil in Toronto. Vancouver snowed a few days before, but it melted before Christmas. I don't think Christmas needs to be white, but we did go up to the mountain to play in the snow.
It's been 8 years since this was painted and I find myself still drawn to the same subject, and same excitement for subtlety in colours. If this was taken with a camera, I think it will be awfully boring, with dirty grey snow and unappealing single tone sky. Yet in painting, the snow are greys in shades of green, purple, blue, brown, and the same colours are echoed everywhere to form a harmonized painting. To me, painting is magical in the sense that it has the power to transform a view into a poetic interpretation.

"The green lane" 9.5" x 12.5" - 2005

(Update) Wait, I actually found a photo of the similar lighting condition, not sure if it's taken on the same day.

This is the same view, but different day.

I was so drawn to the back allies in Toronto. They were so full of character, and I like how they are so organic, almost blending into the nature, creating so much energy in light and shadow, either hard or soft.
Some other views that are still so inspiring to me, and remind me of my painting crazed university life. I used to carry my french easel to school almost everyday, and walked around the neighborhood near the school to find my next subject in -10C weather. When I finished school, I think I had visited all the areas that were walkable and painting-friendly.