Before the last light

Moved my easel to the front yard just in time to capture the last light of the day.

light and colour of spring

The fresh green colour unfolds in front of me standing on our patio late in the afternoon.

Walking in the rain

Three young kids walked past my window in the rain , which pumped me into painting mood again.

From the cosy spot of a back alley on Balmoral Bay

The trees started to turn green in the back alley where against our shed Fengping was seen weeding out the dandelions late in the afternoon.

Fengping cleaning up her garden

Fengping started to get busy cleaning up her flowerbed in the warm sunshine of spring.

A view across the street

 Another oil sketch of the  view across the street at noon.

My house on Balmoral Bay

Warm and sunny in the morning. Took my easel across the street and painted this view of my house in full sunlight.

On a rainy evening

a quick oil sketch of our window view when it was cold and rainy outside.

Evening of spring

a quick oil sketch at 8 p.m looking out of our bedroom window on a cloudy and cold evening.

A glimpse of Downtown Brandon

Painted this view again from the window of drawing studio of the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba as a painting demonstration for my class at 7 p.m.

the fresh and warm light of spring

Standing on our patio in the afternoon, I could feel my whole system was being rejuvenated by the fresh warm air , and the fresh sunlit green.

In the last light of the day

A glimpse into our backyard late in the afternoon when the warm wash of late afternoon sunshine was pouring down from the sky.

Upon opening our door to the patio

Upon opening the door to the patio, caught a glimpse of our two neighbours chatting over their fence, hence the focal point of my  quick oil sketch late in the afternoon.

Listening Chopin's first piano concerto and doing a quick oil sketch

It turned sunny again in the afternoon. Listening to Chopin's first piano concerto, and looking out of the window late in the afternoon, I was struck by a pang of nostalgic feelings somehow.

It snowed over night , and there was a thin accumulation of snow on the ground early in the morning. Caught a glimpse of Dr. Noll and his wife walking by with their big black dog.

A sunny window view on a spring morning

Listening to Aaron Copland 's Appalachian Spring and painting this spring view from my window are a heavenly  experience.  Just learned yesterday that I have won a prize from CBC Radio 2 by answering correctly to its Sunday in concert music quiz. I can not wait to receive my prize of a classical music CD.

Time to cook

It is hard to do an oil sketch of Fengping who tends to move and change her pose whenever she detects my intention of sketching her. Hence here an unfinished oil sketch again of her busy with cooking .

Looking across Maureen's front yard

A view across Maureen's front yard in the evening.

April rain

Still raining outside after supper. Fengping went to church for her  EAL evening leaving the empty driveway to reflect the rainy sky, and the flick of warm light from the window across the street.

Raining outside

Raining outside made it impossible to paint outdoor this afternoon. Did this quick oil pochade from our doorway.

A glimpse over the hedges into Maureen's backyard

It is sunny but still quite chilly. Standing outside from our patio, I can see the hedges started to show the sign of turning green.

On a cold Sunday afternoon

It turned so cold today. David and Ann came back from Arizona after being away for half an year. Before they came over for dinner, I did a quick oil sketch from our backyard while Fengping started cooking supper.

From our patio

A quick oil sketch when  looking over the hedges late in the afternoon from our patio.

St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church of Brandon

A glimpse of St. Augustan Church of Brandon around noon hours when the sun broke out of the clouds and the sky looked so blue.

After the rain

The rain stopped late in the afternoon. Everything outside looked so fresh. Hope the April rain would bring May flowers. A quick oil sketch from our living room window looking  into our backyard.

A window view on a rainy morning

It rained all day long. Painted this view in the morning when the rain was falling gently filling the air with fresh spring smell.

I am on the cover of the spring issue of Manitoba Chinese Tribune , a Canadian Chinese language magazine

Thrilled to know that I am on the cover of the spring issue of Manitoba Chinese Tribune ! For people who understand Chinese language, here is the link to the issue of the magazine with a featured story on me.

a window view at noon

 A quick oil sketch at noon

Coming back to life

A quick oil sketch before supper

A leisure stroll after supper

A quick oil sketch of the neighbours' houses across the street facing the full late afternoon sunlight when an lady with her small dog passing by with their leisure steps

Sunny green

A quick oil sketch from the back alley with the fresh green  colour of the grass glistening in the sun.

Our rock flowerbed

Sunny again today! Everything seems to have come back to life on Easter Sunday. Did a quick oil sketch before supper of our flowerbed with the little figuring of an angel in it and with Dan's Canadian flag fluttering in the wind on the other side of the hedges.

Stopping by Dinsdale Park on a cold , windy , snowy and rainy afternoon

Not a perfect day for painting outdoor with drizzle of rain with mixed snow and strong gust of wind. Nevertheless I found my way to the bank of Assiniboine  River at Dinsdale Park in the afternoon, and did this quick oil sketch of this rather gloomy view. I remember the few houses across the river so threatened by the rising Assiniboine River this time last year.

Standing in the last light

A glimpse out of our bedroom window  when the trees are lit by the last light.

The old Baptist Church on Lorne Avenue of Brandon on Good Friday Morning

Painted this view from Lorne Avenue of Brandon on Good Friday morning in two hours.

The wooded spot behind the hedges in the morning

Painted this view from our backyard when the morning sunlight was breaking out of the clouds and the groves of poplar trees behind the hedges silhouetted against the bright morning sky

Family time

A family of four were  biking by in our quiet neighbourhood while I was painting this view at 4 p.m.

Sunrise moment at 8 a.m.

A quick oil sketch early in the morning from our living room window after breakfast.

Our patio in full afternoon sunlight

When the late afternoon sunlight was on our patio, the red rug there glowed in the light  and so did the grass in our backyard .

backyard drenched in sunlight at 4 p.m.

Light and shadow from the late afternoon sunlight pouring into our backyard was so hard to resist. Another quick oil sketch from our backyard.

At 8 p.m. when the sun dipping down the horizon

Had a nap after supper and woke up at around 8 p.m. Hurried outside with my easel, and did this quick oil sketch from our patio before the last light vanished.

A fresh spring afternoon at Kin Park

From the Kin Park on First Street and Aberdeen Avenue of Brandon late in the afternoon.

The Murray's house on Victoria Ave of Brandon

Stopped at 14Th Street and Victoria Ave of Brandon at noon , and attracted by the house on the corner. It must be what people referred to as Murray's house . The wind was so strong that I had to use my left hand to hold firmly down my French easel to keep it from being blown away by the gust of wind while painting this view.