A brief sunny moment before it was getting dark.

Towars the evening, the sun broke out of the clouds and it was sunny in the evening sky !

glisening green color of the trees and hedges

A quiet corner of our backyard where the small tree blossomed over the fence on a wet cloudy afternoon.

After the rain

It started to rain nonstop after supper. One more quick oil sketch looking out of the window.

Moment before the rain

A quick oil sketch of the window view moment before it starts to rain.

When the crab apple trees are in full bloom

A cold and cloudy Sunday morning. Found myself a nice spot here a few feet away from the path trying to capture the serene and beautiful moment when the two crab apple trees were in full bloom over John Gross's fence.

Against the inky dark sky before a storm

Late in the afternoon, the sky turned suddenly so dark and there was even a warning of tornado in the Westman area. I did this quick oil sketch of the trees silhouetted against the inky dark sky. Minutes later, there was a crack of thunder accompanied by pounding  hails and rain.

A glimpse of our backyard with the small tree blooming over the fence

Saturday morning - sunny and warm on Balmoral Bay

Warm and sunny Saturday morning! An oil sketch of a view across the street of the two houses with so many cars on their parking lots at the moment.

In the bright sunshine of spring afternoon

Stepped outside after supper, and the brilliant color and light of later spring afternoon was just so intense. How could anyone resist its sight! Set up my easel on our driveway and painted this view before the sunlight faded away.

A window view

Had to call in sick for today after throwing up over the night and enduring again excruciating headache. Had slept in and woke up feeling better. Pulled up the curtain,  did a small pochade of window view with it being  rainy and cloudy outside.

Blossoming over the fence

Even though I am still feeling sick, the sight of blossoming crab apple trees over the fence on Balmoral Bay proves so hard to resist. I grabbed my easel and rushed over to this spot to paint.

Hedges and flowerbed

Still not feeling well with the cold , and not able to sum up enough energy to paint. A small pochade of our backyard  after supper before going to the Gallery to teach my last spring class.

A glimpse of the flowerbed in late afternoon sunshine

A quick pochade of a glimpse of our backyard out of the window. I am down with cold , not feeling  so well. A quick sketch for today.

A quiet corner on the back alley of Balmoral Bay

After countless paintings at this spot, I still find nature never stops amazing me with its ever refreshing palette of colors with each new season coming.

A view from Brandon's Kinsmen Park

There used to be a dense wood with lots of aspens in this location until few years ago when the city started to clear out  this space and created a park for kids to play in the summer. With a puddle of accumulated rain along the path and a few remaining aspens standing against the morning sky, I did a quick oil sketch of this view this morning.

Sun beating down over the hedges in the afternoon

In a hurry I grabbed a piece of  oval- shaped matting board to paint on this view late in the afternoon from our patio when the sun was shining so brightly.

Balmoral Bay on a cloudy morning

I started this oil sketch when it was cloudy and rainy and the street remained wet with overnight rain. However, half way through the painting the sun came out briefly. I did not change the overall light and color and kept my first impression of the view. Again the teenager girl walked into my view. I was told that her family was moving away. and just wish all the best to her future!

In the drizzle of May rain from our door step

Rain continued in the afternoon. It is mesmerizing  to stand outside on our door step painting and listening to the dripping of rain from the eaves.

A window view on a rainy morning

What a beautiful spring morning ! The drizzle of rain just adds to the mood of the season. The heart melting color of green! No words could describe how exciting visually it can arouse in me after such a prolonged and cold prairie winter!

Under the prairie sky

Drove to the Pacific Avenue near the first street to get a visual sense of how far the Assiniboine River has overflowed its banks. Normally at this spot on the Pacific Avenue you would not be able to see the water shimmering  in the distance. The fact that people can get a glimpse of the meandering flow of the water just tells you how serious the flooding has been.

from an open space on Cornwallis Cresent

An oil sketch of a quiet neighborhood on Cornwallis Cresent early in the morning.

A fresh spring morning from our doorway

A quick pochade of a glimpse into a fresh morning from our doorway.

A serene moment in late spring afternoon

Another quick oil sketch from our front yard looking north on Balmoral Bay in the later afternoon when the sunlight started to fade away.

In the full sunshine

Dave and Ann dropped by while I was doing this oil sketch. Behold, they were walking  into my view !

Getting ready for gardening

A quick oil sketch from our backyard with Fengping's bags of garden fertilizer and pots of plants, and a raker against the planter within the view.

When morning sunlight started to pour into the backyard

a quick pochade  early in the morning before going to work.

On a warm sunny spring afternoon from our front yard

a glimpse of spring from our front yard late in the afternoon when the warm spring sunlight glistened everything in sight.

A sunny spring morning from our window

Woke up to such a beautiful morning , which seemed enough to have lessoned my horrible ordeal through the migraine attack. Picked up the brush and pulled up the curtain, here is the quick oil sketch.

A glimpse of spring from our backyard

Migraine headache made it impossible for me to finish this oil sketch. Had to stop and confine myself to bed immediately.

In the warm glow of spring afternoon

A quick oil sketch from our backyard late in the afternoon. A warm and sunny spring has finally arrived.

A busy gardener

A oil sketch of Fengping working away in her flower bed in the afternoon adding sheep manure to the soil preparing it for spring planting.

Annual Garage Sale Day on Balmoral Bay

Wake up to a beautiful sunny morning when I could hear the din of traffic outside! It was annual Balmoral Bay Garage Sale Day. I walked across to John and Betty Gross's house and set up my easel right at their door trying to capture a busy and cheerful day when people coming and leaving trying to find their bargain for the day.

A fleeting sunset moment after a week of rainy and cloudy weather

Towards evening  the sun suddenly came out of the clouds after a week of rainy and cloudy weather,  transfiguring what in front of me  by the window into a magic moment.

Reading Chinese novel on internet

A quick oil sketch of Fengping reading  a Chinese novel on internet on a cold cloudy afternoon.

Dosing off in the chair

A quick oil sketch of Fengping dozing off in the chair after supper.

Roses from Mother's Day

A quick oil sketch of the bouquet of rose rose bought for Fengping for the Mother's Day before they faded away.

Raining outside

It rained heavily outside adding to the woe of people affected by the flood in Westman area.

Raking dead leaves in our yard

A quck oil sketch of Fengping in our backyard with garbage bag in  one hand and raker in the other trying to cleaning up the lawn against looming dark cloudy  sky.

A Brandon skyline

With the intention to plain a flood scene I found myself standing on the bank of swollen Assiniboine River on the first street facing the inundated Dinsdale Park. However, instead of setting up my easel to paint,  I left the scene feeling not right to paint when I could see in the distance some houses on the edge of the river are threatened by the rising river. On my way back I stopped instead to paint the McKenzie building with the 8th street bridges arching across the railway tracks. A gentleman living close by came over to chat with me sharing every detail of the history associated with the scene, not realizing then, just a few days later this area of Brandon became the evacuated zone due to ever rising Assiniboine water level.

A glimpse of the inundated Brandon golf course

Came to see how bad the flooding was when I set up my easel on the edge of what used to be the  Brandon golf course which is completely  under the water now. Lots of people came to take pictures of the flooding view. I was caught on video tape while I was painting this view. Here is the link  on ebrandon.ca http://ebrandon.ca/video.aspx?video_id=3968

Dark, cloudy and rainy when looking from our front yard

Before sunlight gone from our front yard

Sunny spring sky

Back home again, a glimpse of our flowerbed in our backyard

So nice to see the snow gone finally, and so nice to have stayed away from the weekend storm.

66 Wood Lily Drive, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

After over 7 hours of driving , we reached Moose Jaw. Thanks to the kindness of Len and Marj, we suddenly felt like coming back home even though we had never met them before. Before we said goodbye to Len and Marj the next morning I did this oil painting of their house as part of our most unforgeable memory.