Monday, March 31, 2008

The tree in front of our house

Sitting down on the floor, I painted this view through the open door at noon on the last day of March.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Balmoral Bay on Sunday morning after the snow


After a quick breakfast, I packed up my brushes and easel, and hurried outside to a brilliant winter landscape. I found myself a quiet corner on the bay and tried to capture a fleeting snow-covered view of the spruces before snow melts away. Could this be the last major snow fall?

Back to winter ?

Woke up to a sunny morning , and lo, behold a full day and full night of snow fall had transformed outside world into a winter wonderland again. Hardly believe it is the end of March. Setting my easel on our dinner table before breakfast, I quickly painted this view through our window in 30 minutes.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

A stroll in the snow


Setting up my French easel on the path leading towards Brandon Cemetery along the Maryland Avenue, I started painting the view when snow started to fall heavily, and every object in my view appeared to be blurry and I had to finish it up in an hour. It was about 12 noon.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Winter again?!


A heavy over night snow fall has turned our neighbourhood landscape into winter one again. Standing at our door and looking out I see no sign of spring but snow , snow everywhere!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Wet and snowy


It was dark with snow flakes drifting in the air when I started this painting standing across the street in the afternoon. Yet, despite the gloomy appearance, there had already been something in the air telling you spring was around the corner. You can smell it. Just be patient!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Another view of the silver maple trees

Just could not resist the sight of the trees towering over the houses on Balmoral Bay. Painted this view from a slight different angle in the afternoon after work.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

From Cornwallis Cresent


I have painted on this location so many times , in spring , summer , fall and winter. What attracted me to this spot this afternoon is the remaining patches of snow in the receding sunlight, the interplay of warm sun light and cool shadows from the fences adds to the sense of the change of the season.

Spring thaw


Right beside my house is the pool of water from melted snow reflecting the trees and I saw a family of three strolling on the street. I painted what I saw in two hours after coming home from work at 4 p.m.

Monday, March 24, 2008

In the receding sunlight


At about 7 in the evening when the sunlight was receding quickly, Mr. John Gross's house across the bay was lit with the remaining sunlight. Painted this view at the door in half an hour.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Balmoral Bay after an overnight snow fall


It snowed last night. When I got up this morning it was sunny and bright outside. It was very refreshing to see the ground blanked with a new layer of fresh snow. I went out with my easel to paint at noon when most of the snow had melted away and the wet surface of the street was what attracted me to paint this view.

Friday, March 21, 2008

A window view on a rainy or snowy day


It is this time of the year when almost all the snow is gone but you can tell winter is still lingering in the air refusing to give way to the change of the season. Painted this window view from our living room in two hours before our guests were coming for dinner.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Two big silver maple trees on Balmoral Bayt

Dark and cloudy when I started this painting standing on Murraine's drive way, however, the sun started to break out of the clouds half an hour later and everything seemed to have changed its appearance.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

At dawn from Crocus Cresent



At the end of my overnight shift at a group home when I looked out of the window this is normally what I see.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Light and shadow in the late afternoon


Dr. Busink came to pick up his paintings this afternoon. We had a nice chat. I am very impressed by his knowledge of fine arts and his excellent taste. He viewed more of my paintings and made some very encouraging and kind comments about them. After he left, I went outside at 5 p.m. with my easel as usual, and tried to capture something on my canvas before light faded away. Struck by the casting shadows from the trees across the street, I did a quick painting of the view across the bay.

Monday, March 17, 2008

A back alley on Balmoral Bay


A few old willow trees standing on the back alley on Balmraol Bay in the afternoon. Finished this painting in two hours.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Three Spruces standing on Balmoral Bay


Warm and sunny. Painted these spruces on the bay against the strong sunlight . Patches of snow could still be seen on the street.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Memory of a house


Commissioned by Crocus Plains High School teacher Mrs. Petrin, I painted this house of hers which used to stand on the 26th Street using a photo reference. The photo was taken in winter, but I was asked to paint it as if it were from the fall.

Friday, March 14, 2008

An old willow tree


No school today. I came to the corner of 8th Street and Aberdeen Avenue and painted this view of the intersection where an old willow tree stands.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

A path cutting through Cornwallise Cresent


It was quite dart and cloudy when I started this painting this afternoon around 4 p.m and there was even some drifting of snow flakes in the air. In half an hour the sun started to come out of the clouds and then it disappeared again after a brief appearance. Again I tried to capture the mood of this time of the year when you can smell the early spring in the air and when the snow started to melt away.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Spring thaw


What a difference two days can make! I came back to the same spot in the afternoon to paint this view. Instead of the snow-covered path, what greeted my eyes was a pool of water from the melted snow. For the first time I could feel the warmness of the sunlight on my back while I was painting away on this quiet spot.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Sign of Spring?


Came back from work today in the afternoon to find snow had melted away from our driveway. It was the first day when I really felt spring was soon to come. A glimpse of our drive way was all I painted today to serve as a prelude to the change of the season. Had to go to the figure drawing class in the evening and had to stop here.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Silver maple trees on a quitet path

I have painted on this spot so many times now. However, each time I walk through this quiet path between Balmoral Bay and Cornwallis Crescent, there arises in me an urge to paint it again whether it is in summer or winter. It was quite warm today , the sun was shining brightly, and the sky was so blue when I got to this spot around 11:00 o'clock.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

A familia view from an unique point


Around noon today, the sun finally came out of the clouds but only briefly. I did not have car with me and could not drive out to paint. Instead, I just set up my easel close to the wall of our house and painted away. Two hours later, I went inside the house to keep myself warm leaving my easel and tubes of paint outdoor for the rest of the day.

Friday, March 7, 2008

A quiet corner on Balmoral Bay

The wind was dying down and it was not as cold by the time I got home from work. For a brief moment the sun came out of the clouds and I took my easel out to the spot behind our hedges and started to paint this view again.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

A fleeting moment


I planed to wait for my wife to come home from work and then to drive out to do some painting from the car, since it was still so cold today with wind chill effect. However, after work and walking into our backyard towards our back door, the dazzling sunlight on the snow accumulated on the roof of our neighbour's house, and the hedges and junipers with their casting shadows caught my eyes, and I took my French easel out in a hurry and painted this view in one and half an hour before my hands and feet were numb with biting cold.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Silhouette of a church


Found myself on the parking lot of a church on Richmond Avenue and painted the silhouette of a church again the late afternoon sunlight.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

A glimpse of our front yard


Painted this view of our front yard with our car on the drive way standing right on the corner of our house. It was quite warm but wind started to catch up and it was getting a bit cloudy by the time I wrapping it up in two hours.