I'm from Upstate New York, so I'm definitely used to the snow and the cold. Some people complain about the cold weather, but I'm fond of it. Maybe it's because I'm a visual person; it's nice to be curled up inside on a cold day, watching the snow blow around outside.

Snow can be very visual, so I wanted to make it a big part of my illustration. I like the way the swirling snow came out, a little stylized. I also wanted to show a connection between the university and the city. I chose to make the character a student, and have her looking off towards the skyline of Syracuse with the sun shining brightly in the sky. I wanted to make the city look warm and welcoming, even with all the snow.