Venice with its grand canel

We came to Venice by train around noon. Standing on one of the three legendary bridges, we got our first glimpse of what is the quintessentially Venice scene. 

A glimpse into Vatican from the Thebe River

After our visit to Vatican City with its treasure of arts, we took a stroll along the famous historical river -Thebe River.

From ancient Florence

Strolling down so many narrow streets paved with copper stone in the ancient city of Florence  is a step into ancient history with its unsurpassed glory.

Under the Tuscany Sun !

We took train  from Rome to Florence early in the morning. The breathtakingly beautiful view of Tuscany intoxicated me. Painted this oil sketch based on memory and pen sketches.

My first glimpse of Roman Colosseum

This is the first day of our two week European tour. How exciting since it is our first ever trip to Europe. Our first stop is Rome. After settling in our apartment which is just a stone throw away from the railway station, Sarah navigated our way to the ancient Roman ruin in the drizzle of the rain in the evening.

Fengping's garden

In Fengping's garden, peony started to bloom this morning.

A Ukrainian orthodox church of Brandon

After submitting my answer to  this week's CBC Radio 2 Sunday music quiz, I stopped by this church with Ukrainian heritage. I am pretty sure one of the three possible former Soviet destinations immortalized by the music in the clue is Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine, which used to be part of USSR. 

In the first light

Came back from working overnight at 7  and looking out of the window, I saw the first light of the day breaking into the silence of the morning, and did this quick oil sketch before lying down to catch a few hours of sleep.

Trying to get rid of the dandelions

Fengping was getting busy trying to get rid of the dandelions in our backyard with  a cat  sniffing   its way  there  while I was painting this view from our patio.

When the rain stopped

After the rain stopped , there was a glimmer of light on the wet street. The baby kid from across the street ventured out onto the edge of the street under the watchful eyes of the mother from their doorsteps.

a window view into our backyard

Another quick oil sketch looking out of the window on a cloudy afternoon

Evening glow

Another quick oil sketch from the window in the evening.

Painting in the painting studio of AGSW

This is my last painting class at the painting studio of the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. The five students have been very productive right to the last class. I did this quick oil sketch of them painting to the last minute of the class.

Blooming across the street

A quick oil sketch from our living room window when the full afternoon sunlight was on the house and the blossoming tree across the street at 4 p.m.

In full bloom

Drove to Ron and Sally's place to paint from their property of the two blossoming trees  around 5 p.m when the full afternoon sunlight was shining on them and on the small church steeple in the distance.

In the last light

In the twilight of spring afternoon.

A thunder child and a birch

A quick oil sketch of a blooming thunder child tree and a  birch sporting new leaves on a property on the corner of 8Th Street and Balmoral Bay  in the south in late afternoon sunshine.

A glimpse of Brandon University Music School

Braving the hot spring sun in the early afternoon, I set up my easel on a quiet corner on Brandon University campus, and painted this view of BU music school.

Calvary Temple of Brandon

With special Mother Day church service going on inside the church, I set up my easel in front of the church and painted this view to mark the occasion.

Blooming across the street

The tree across the street started to blossom. A quick oil sketch in the afternoon from our driveway.

A garage sale underway on Balmoral Bay

Annual garage sale day on Balmoral Bay. I set up my easel in front of John Gross's house and painted this moment to mark the occasion.

A glimpse of spring sky from our backyard

With white clouds floating in the deep blue  sky, and with trees and hedges sporting fresh green leaves, the view in front of me looks so touching to me in the afternoon from our patio.

After a storm in the evening

Heavy rain started to pour with the gust of wind late in the afternoon. Around 9 p.m the rain stopped and there is a flash  of warm wash of sunlight spreading across the evening sky for just a few minutes before darkness of the night took over the sky again. I grabbed my pochade box , and standing by the window I did this quick oil sketch in 10 minutes.

A blooming shrub from Balmoral Bay

Against the strong gust of wind I set up my easel after supper on Maureen's driveway to paint the view of the other side of Balmoral Bay looking west where the lone shrub was in full bloom against the setting sunlight.

The path

With the intense sunlight on John Gross's fence where his crab apple tree is ready to bloom I set up my easel to paint in the afternoon on the path leading from Balmoral Bay to McLeod Drive when two young kids with their dog walked past me into my view.

Our house in the last glow of the light

A walk on a warm spring afternoon

A young lady in  pink blouse and short stepped into my view while I was painting this view on Balmoral Bay on this warm spring afternoon .

When the sun breaking out of the clouds briefly in the evening

A quick oil sketch from the front of our house in the evening when the sunlight  broke out of the clouds only briefly.

A super moon in the morning sky?

Missed the sight of the super moon due to rainy and cloudy sky for the last two nights. However early in the morning I had the fortune to witness the full moon in the sky, and hence this quick oil sketch at 5 a.m.

A window view from Crocus Crescent

A quick oil sketch from the west facing window at 6 p.m. from No.1 Crocus Crescent..

From our front yard

The clouds are rolling across the clear blue sky with shimmering green colour floating among the trees from our front yard. A quick oil sketch at noon.

Sunny spring morning

Woke up to a beautiful spring morning when the rain stopped and the sun came out putting a fresh look on everything in view outside.

My house on Balmoral Bay

A close look of our house on this cloudy Saturday.

a view from Balmoral Bay

A corner of Balmoral Bay on a rainy and cloudy Saturday.

a corner of the backyard

a quick oil sketch from the window

Over the hedges

Cold and cloudy today when I was doing this quick oil sketch after supper from our backyard.

In the path of morning sunshine

Came home from my night shift at 7 a.m. Looking out of the window I did this quick oil sketch when the bright morning sunshine suddenly transfigured my window view after an overnight of thunderstorm.

It started to rain again!

It rained again shortly after my first sketch and the sky turned inky dark again. Another quick oil sketch looking out of the window at 9 p.m.

After an April shower

The shower of rain stopped in the evening and there was a glimpse of sunlight in the eastern sky. It looked so quite outside.