First snow

A woman in a deep red fringed shawl stands on a wrought-iron balcony, one hand raised to her ear, looking down at a girl beside her. The girl, in a dark blue sweater, smiles and reaches her open hands out to catch falling snowflakes. Behind them a snowy cityscape of tiled roofs, chimneys and a distant domed church spire stretches under a pale winter sky.

Muted ochre and grey rooftops contrast with the woman's saturated red shawl, and scattered white snowflake dabs animate the whole surface. Careful, detailed handling of the architecture and figures gives the scene a crisp, wintry realism, while the girl's open, joyful gesture brings a warm, playful note to the cold cityscape.