Church Street Public School, TO Artwork

"Church Street Public School, TO" is an emotionally charged mixed painting that serves as a poignant tribute to the artist's deep connection to Church Street Public School in Toronto. 
The dominant use of white paint in the composition conveys the artist's profound love for painting snow, as she masterfully recreates the tranquil beauty of the snowy landscape that envelops the playground. 

In the artist's own words,
"I love painting snow. And use a lot of white paint. And on the day, I photographed this, the sky was pretty damn close to white. I ended up painting the sky too thick with the paint and I thought to myself, oh no, it’s not snow but I still painted it thick. Then it occurred, fuck it, it’s abstract. It must mean something. I just don’t know it yet. Maybe it’s a 5 dimensional world or the sky was in awe of the snow so much, it became it."

The buildings behind the playground emerge in a captivating blend of purple, pink, and light red, infusing the wintry scene with a sense of warmth and familiarity. The artist's use of abstract colours invites viewers to explore the emotional landscape of her memories and especially the location - the pride street of Toronto.

“Church Street Public School, TO” is an emotionally charged mixed media painting and a heartfelt tribute to the artist’s deep connection with Church Street Public School in Toronto.

The dominant use of white throughout the composition reflects the artist’s love for painting snow — capturing the tranquil beauty of a playground blanketed in winter. In her own words:

“I love painting snow. And use a lot of white paint. On the day I photographed this, the sky was pretty damn close to white. I ended up painting it too thick and thought to myself, oh no, it’s not snow. But I kept going. Then it occurred to me — fuck it, it’s abstract. It must mean something. I just don’t know it yet. Maybe it’s a 5-dimensional world. Or maybe the sky was in such awe of the snow, it became it.”

Behind the playground, the buildings rise in a soft wash of purple, pink, and light red — abstract yet warm, inviting viewers into an emotional landscape shaped by memory and time. The scene captures not just winter, but the essence of a place — Pride Street, Toronto — and a moment in life.

“I used to drop him and pick him up every day. Canadian winters were especially hard for me. I took this photo a few months before lockdown. I had to leave the workplace I called home, and I was deeply depressed. It felt like I was dragging ankle weights through the snow while walking my nephew to school. But it was worth it. He was seven, had the sweetest voice and accent, and always wanted to stay back to play football. I just wanted to crawl into bed. He’d ask, ‘Can we stay for 15 more minutes, please?’ and I’d say, ‘Okay, but only 15 minutes.’ And then he’d ask again when the time was up.” -Della

This painting is more than a scene. It’s a memory, a goodbye, a love letter to a hard winter, a little boy’s voice, and a piece of Toronto covered in snow.