Jelly gemstones fall from the sky like snow in the latest hyperrealistic animation from Canadian artist Alex McLeod, aptly titled GEM SNOW. Known for designing detailed digital landscapes, intricate technicolor dioramas that distort and delight perceptions of reality, McLeod here re-imagines the depths of winter in an alien world where ice crystals don't melt, but grow and meld together to envelop huge tracts of land. "I wanted to represent snow and precipitation in an alternative way," he tells The Creators Project. "There is a certain kind of awe when the first snowfall of the season appears, something cozy and beautiful." While previous works have taken inspiration from candy textures or video games, GEM SNOW comes from an even earlier source: Christmas specials. "I was inspired by the memory of how snowfall was portrayed in early animation and seasonal television specials," he says of his crystalline snowstorm.
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