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Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, a blessed Kwanza, a joyous New Year! Whatever you celebrate - or don't - I wish you a comforting holiday period.
I've opted to 'close' my at-home art studio for the holidays, to spend time with loved ones who're off work, so I'm going to share with you what I've been painting over the past couple of weeks.
These aren't very good photos of my latest watercolours, snapped with my phone, but they'll still give you an idea of what I mean...
I painted several similar historic buildings in our almost-European Old Montréal district, using two different watercolour approaches, based on MANY photos I've taken in and around the city this year.
My aim is more for the style of the first watercolour, a 'looser' and less detailed take on these gorgeous domed buildings.
For certain iconic local landmarks, though, I find myself still wanting to add detail - as in the second painting.
It's a delicate balance of simplifying a composition, while providing sufficient visual clues for a specific building to be recognizable.
You'll probably be seeing more historic sites in my paintings, throughout 2023. There are many historic buildings along my cycing routes, set in forests and gardens, so I'll still be doing plein-air nature paintings next summer - off the back of my bicycle - while occasionally integrating a historic site.
As I looking through my photos of historic  buildings, to plan these paintings, I realized just how thankful I am to live in a city with such beautiful architecture. 
We have buildings dating back to the 1600s, some of the oldest on this continent.
I'm reminded once again how lucky I am, to have such fantastic opportunities for painting right here in my hometown; I'm within cycling distance to forests, farms, island shorelines, beaches, even a a vineyard!
On that note, my theme for the holidays this year is Thankfulness. For my loved ones - family and friends, for all the beauty around me, and for the opportunities I've been granted this year... More on that will follow on New Year's Day!
In the meantime, all the best for ths holiday season.