The path leading to the beach- from our trip to Mexico

This is the path right beside us. We walk down the path everyday. It is therefore fitting that I finish my last piece of canvas painting this view of the path through the dense tropical growth with glimpses of oceans ahead. The sun was setting down so quickly and so was our stay coming to an end.

The intoxcicating light and color of the ocean- from our trip to Mexico

The intense light and color of the Caribbean sea will forever seared into my memory from this trip. Seven days are too short to get myself acquainted to the place yet. However, it is time already for us to say goodbye to this beautiful Mexican coast .

Soaring into the sky - from our trip to Mexico

I can not leave this beautiful coast without showcasing the ubiquitous dancing palm trees that dotted the coast forming a dense dark green wall of defence against the elemental ocean.

Another view from the resort beach - from our trip to Mexico

This will be my last day here I can spend painting all day since there are only two days left and I have carried only ten pieces of canvas for this trip. Tomorrow we will travel to the center of the Yucatan Peninsula to a place called Chichen Itza, the center of Mayan civilization. We will join a tour group which makes it impossible for me to do any paintings there. Therefore, I will finish the remaining four paintings for today. We walked back to the resort beach to find the sea unsually quiet and calm today without crushing waves. This was the first time I could set up the ease painting without battling the strom wind. I painted another view with the small Mayan ruin from a diffenet point of view.

Another view from Tulum - from our trip to Mexico

I painted another view of the rocky coast. This time I painted looking up at the view insead of looking down. It was getting really hot and humid towards the noon hours, and it was hard to carry two wet paintings all the way home, and incidentally we found ourselves lost by walking down a worng path which leads us further away from the town.

A view from the coast of Tulum - from our trip to Mexico

Guarding the coast like a sentinel are a few Mayan ruins standing there for over thousand years since time immemorial. We travelled to Tulum via local mini bus a very convenient way to reach different places of interest along the coast. I walked with my easel among the throng of tourists and found myself enjoying this bird eyed view of this Mayan ruin on a soaring steep rocky coast. caressed by waves upon waves from the azure expanse of the Caribbean sea

Crushing waves from the sea- from our trip to Mexico

The crushing sound of the waves and the turquioise color of the sea casted such a spell on me that I walked across the small path and found myself amid the parlm trees and did another quick oil painting for the day even though I felt totally exhasted and got a bad sunburn.

Beach with a Mayan ruin - from our trip to Mexico

Right on the beach of the resort you can find a small Mayan ruin on the rocks. Battling strong gust of wind and braving the hot and glaring sunlight beating down on my back, I finished another painting for the day. Right behind me are rows upon rows of tourists lying there on the beach sunbathing themselves with their eyes half closed with lots of bikini clad ladies and with some of them going topless!

Morning on the beach - from our trip to Mexico

From our balcony we can get a glimpse of the ocean through the forest of palm trees and hear the ocean wave crashing against the rocky shores. Just a few steps away I found myself on the beach moment before the sun started to break through the clouds the next morning. What a dramatic moment it was! My heart was literally pounding with excitement. The wind remained so strong that I had to sit on the beach hunching my back over my tiny frangible easel with my left hand holding down the easel with force against the blowing wind for fear that my easel will be blown away. I finished my second painting in just a matter of half an hour and yet, I felt so exhausted physically already. However, the spectacular view of the beautiful Mexican ocean would never stop me from marvelling at its beauty.

A glimpse of Caribbean Sea from our trip to Mexico

As if God want to create a dramatic climatic moment in our life by pre-shapening our senses to get us ready for what we will visually experience for the first time in our life, just before we set off to Mexico, a snow storm hit Manitoba with a mixture of snow and rain. On March 25, braving a storm of snow and rain we dragged our luggage through a sludge of snow to Winnipeg international airport to start our ever first trip to Mexico. In just a matter of few hours , lo, behold we found ourselves walking along the warm sandy beach of Caribbean Sea near Tulum on the south of the Yucatan Peninsula with a huge expanse of azure sky and turquoise ocean. We stayed for 7 days at an all inclusive resort called Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach only half an hour drive away from Tulum. This is my first painting done on the beach against very strom wind from the occean towards late afternoon where the sun sets always so quickly in the tropical land.

Another rainy day

There is not sign of sunlight today and the rain has stopped but a big pool of water from melted snow and rain reflects the tree and has exposed patches of grass under the snow.

On a soaking wet day

Today is Sarah's 20th birthday when it has rained here all day long. It is strange when most of the snow has not melt away yet when it starts to rain and rain all day long. What a far cry from March 22, last year when it was so warm and sunny.

A glimpse out of the window

A very cloudy today and not sign of sunlight. much of the snow has melted away and the flowerbed is partially exposed now.

From the bank of Assiniboine River

It was very cloudy today when I came to the bank of the river at Dinsdale Park. It was so quiet all around me except for the sound of rushing river which was still in the grip of winter. The sight and sound of the river always excites me.

In the fading sunlight

The sunlight was fading quickly and it was getting windy and cold when I was painting this view of Balmoral Bay.

Still covered deep with snow

It is getting cold again with biting wind. Our backyard is still covered deep with the snow. However, you can feel the strength of warm sunlight of an early spring already despite of the cold weather.

Preganant with a new season

I can almost smell the new season in the air , and in the warmness of the sunlight beating down my back while I am sketching in oils the view from my backyard in the afternoon.

Spring thaw!

It is the time of the year again when the melting snow formed a pool of water in the middle of the path. Can spring be far behind?

Spring thaw?

I know it is too early to call it spring yet. Yet, it is warm enough for me to paint outdoor today and seeing the sign of spring just makes me excited and full of anticipation. I walked to the junction of Balmoral Bay and 8th Street close to Aberdeen Avenue and did this oil sketch.

Before sunset

Sitting at the diner table before eating, I was struck by the view out of the window , and instead of picking up my chopsticks, I picked up my brushes and did a quick oil sketch in 10 minutes.

Before the sun came out

Came back from working overnight, and after a quick breakfast, I opened the door and did this quick oil sketch of what I saw at 8 a.m. a moment before sunrise.

Balmoral Bay still deep in winter

Much warmer today. Hope it is the turning point for warm weather. It was cloudy when I started this oil sketch . Soaking myself in the fresh air outdoor was just such a wonderful moment.

A glimpse out of the door

Extremly cold outside , yet the light in the afternoon was so bright and intense that you would think it was quite warm. The blue sky was so crystal clear in the afternoon. I attempted a quick oil sketch before supper.

Full moon night

There is something unearthly beautiful and something supremely sublime about the full moon in the dome of the sky. A causal glance out of the window is enough for me to make this rushed oil sketch by the window in 20 minutes at around 9 p.m.

Looking across the street

There is something quite serene about the late afternoon sky. Somehow I could almost sense the germinating of warm weather ahead. Sketched this view in oils through our window after supper.

A dark and cold snowy night

It started to snow in the evening. However, looking out of the bedroom window I found it hard to believe that it was cold and windy outside when the street light was so warm and bright surrounded by the envelope of thick darkness.

A glimpse over the hedges at noon

Painted a quick oil sketch from the patio at noon when the sunlight was shining brightly down. It was nice and warm today.

A glimpse out of the bedroom window

My easel was left at the window after the first painting in the morning, and turning it around in the afternoon I did another oil sketch before the light was gone.

Shadows over the snow

The dazzling sunlight greeted my eyes when I pulled up the curtain after waking up and getting out of the bed. The light and color outside was so compelling that I just could not ignore them without setting up my easel again by the window. It was hard to believe that it was about 30 below with windchill outside!

A glimpse over the hedges

Cloudy and snowy but warm enough to paint outdoor. A few days of warm weather melted away the snow on our driveway and the narrow path leading to our doorway. A puddle of water formed as a result of dripping water from our eves.

Streching out against the sky

Quite warm today which made it possible for me again to paint outdoor. Walked a few hundred feet to the path and painted this oil sketch of the old willow tree over the fence.

Buried deep under the snow

Warm enough to paint outdoor today after work. What struck me visually was the junipers buried deep under the snow as if trying bravely to shake off the yoke of the snow bondage to embrace the late afternoon sunlight.

Snow-covered flower bed

There was not much of light left when I started this oil sketch sitting in the backyard before supper. It was cold and partially cloudy , yet I could almost sense the vital force in the soil buried deep under the heavy blanket of snow.