Every year since 1998 I've tried to render something festive for the holidays. Sometimes it's something totally new, sometimes I adapt an existing scene. As the years went on it became fun to revisit "classic" scenes with new technology.

In 2011 I decided to try another version of "Blue Christmas". This time I would be using Vue d'Esprit instead of Lightwave.

I'd taken a painting class that fall where we discussed the color theory. I thought it would be interesting to have the blue tree lit up in front of a sunset sky for maximum contrast.

Red skies aren't a hallmark of Christmas imagery so this one is a bit non-traditional. It's still a favorite of mine however.