Alva (Yu-Hua) Gao, founder of Alva De Blue House, is a Canadian oil painter who lived and worked in Markham, Ontario for over twenty years. From 2007 to 2009, her studio was located on Main Street Unionville, where she painted many scenes of the historic village and surrounding landscapes. Her studio remained in Markham until 2023.

Alva’s landscape oil paintings capture the streets of Unionville, Toogood Pond, nearby fields, winter snow, autumn trees, and the quiet beauty of York Region through the seasons.

These works are not imagined places — they come from years of daily life, observation, and a deep connection to Unionville and Ontario’s natural scenery.