Blue Sky - White Snow

You have got to check out this piece of art work. You can click on the picture for a bigger view.

It is entitled Blue Sky - White Snow, a 6 x 12 foot oil canvas painting by award winning Canadian artist Gary McLaughlin, best known for his artwork on the Tim Horton's winter mug collection.

The canvas contains 763 heads, two full length figures, the three arens, the Hockey Hall of Fame Building and all of the original Maple Leaf logos. It took McLaughlin 2 years and over 3500 hours to painstakingly sketch, draw and paint this one of a kind piece that honours the Toronto Maple Leafs and more specifically, every single player who skated at least one game for the Leafs between 1927 and 2007.

"In actual fact, it is the painting of many lifetimes because it incorporates the faces of every Toronto Maple Leaf hockey player to touch the ice wearing a blue and white jersey," comments the soft-spoken McLaughlin. "Along with each face i paint, there is a lifetime of memories, stories and hockey history - not just for the players, but for their descendants, families and perhaps most importantly, their fans."

I love that comment. History really is an individual recollection. 1000 people could look at this painting and a million different memories would be brought up.

If you want to get a better view of the painting, along with views of other McLaughlin pieces (including a great Montreal Canadiens tribute), visit his website at www.riversonggallery.ca. Better yet, you could travel down to the Parliament Building at Queen's Park in Toronto, where the painting is on display. In January the painting will be moved to the new Lakeshore Lions Complex, a new Leafs training facility.

By the way, the Blue Sky - White Snow is also for sale. Serious inquiries should contact Gary McLaughlin directly.