Wilson' s Place

A heritage house

A DQ moment in late afternoon

Right on Main Street is the Diary Queen with its bright red umbrella setups catching later afternoon sunlight. I spend the last few minutes in Neepawa painting this view of DQ with a few customers sitting there against warm summer sunset, hoping to conjure up a memorable and cosy summer moment. With this painting I may wrap up my 10 day project of Painting Neepawa en plein air. It is my sincere hope that this collection of 38 paintings I have done over the past few weeks in July will resonate with the viewers across the country who may have the fortune to proudly call Neepawa their home or who may have once lived here or visited here, and left with fond memories. Thank you for visiting my website.

A glimpse of Viscount Cultural Center of Neepawa

Viscount Cultural Center is located on the quiet street of Mountain Ave lined up with big elm trees. This is the venue where my collection of 38 paintings painted all over Neepawa and its surrounding area will be on display from August 4 to August 28 of this year. It is only fitting to leave its image on my canvas to be included for the exhibition. While painting this view, a fleet of cars with a bride and groom and their quests passing by and while my wife and I were having a picnic right in front of the building, we realized that this building that day may have serve as a reception place for some occasion like this. We were just guessing as we saw cars with different provincial plates coming to park along the street. If so I hope this small painting of mine would serve as a small footnote to that special moment in the young couple's life.

At the Lily Nook

It was getting really hot towards noon when we were on our way to the Lily Nook located just few miles away from Neepawa on highway No. 5, hoping with warm weather like this most of the lilies would be in full bloom as compared to two weeks ago. As we approached the site a field of blooming lilies floated into our sight, a field ablaze with vibrant color. After a quick picnic I set up my easel and started to paint away. While painting I had the fortune to meet the well known Winnipeg based photographer Hans Arnold who shares the same passion as mine for the beauty of nature and whose collection of artistic photographs are so lyrical and poetic that they are such a joy to view.

Strawberry U-pick of the Klassens

Just a few miles before we reached Neepawa today, we stopped by at the U-Pick run by the Klassens. After I introduced myself to him, Ruben, the owner graciously showed us around and let us come inside his beautiful house all built by himself. While my wife was ready to pick strawberries and Saskatoon I followed a group of customers to the filed to paint this lovely view of families of adults and children picking up strawberries in the field against dazzling morning sunlight. A memorable Manitoban summer moment.

A glimpse of Neepawa golf course

After painting the view of canola field I simply walked across the parking lot of the golf course and tucked myself away between two big trees to paint this view of the golf course whose fluctuating curves echoed visually with the floating clouds against an azure sky. Far in the distance a glimpse of the local cemetery was briefly revealed by the fleeting sunlight through the gap of the clouds.

A canola field on the edge of the golf course

Nothing can be more spectacularly beautiful and more quintessentially prairie than the sweeping and panoramic view of the golden yellow canola field in the summer. Driving along Highway 10, or any other highway in the prairie you will not fail to see the spectacular sea of golden yellow unfolding and stretching as far as eyes can see. Standing right on the edge of the field I enjoyed as much the aroma and fragrance from the filed as the sight. This particular filed was located right on the edge of the golf course parking lot and with the red roof of a small church building in the distance.

One of Neepawas historically significant buildings on First Ave.

Driving down the First Avenue, I caught sight of this beautiful house not realizing it is on the list of Neepawa historically significant buildings. I parked my car on the street and went ahead to introduce myself to the owner Clay Hainstock who was himself quite an artist who paints quite skillfully and beautifully. Clay introduced me to his family among them was his brother a very accomplished visual artist, and showed me around inside his beautiful house grace by so many beautiful art works on its walls.

A glimpse of Park Lake from behind Dave & Anna Speiss beautiful house

It was about 9 in the morning when I reached Neepawa, while driving down towards Park Lake, I was attracted by the sight of a house located high up on the right side of the road. When I realized it was picture framing gallery as well, I took the liberty of driving up right to its door, and introduced myself to its owner Dave Speiss who was kind and gracious to let me wander around his house to explore the beautiful view. Soon after, Dave's wife Anna came out to chat with me and kindly showed me around inside their beautiful house after I finishied this painting standing high up behind their property looking down towards the lake.

Camp out on the bank of White Mud River

With Whitemud river meandering across the Riverbend Park and with lots of big trees providing natural shelter, the park proves to be such a beautiful and cosy site for the campers. After finishing the first painting on site I came across a small foot bridge to paint this view against intense late afternoon sunlight. Soon I found my eyes strained by the intense light and had to finish this painting in a hurry.

Vantage Car Show at Neepawa Lily Festival

At the end of my first day workshop of outdoor painting we made a detour to Neepawa on our way back to Brandon. When we came to Riverbend Park, we saw lots of vantage cars on display which must be part of the Lily Festival activities. While walking around the river bank the reflections of the vantage cars caught my eyes, I set up my easel to try to capture this view. However just five minutes into this painting the car show apparently came to an end when one by one they all left the location.

Neepawa Lily Festival

With their voice still ringing in my ears, I saw them again coming out right on the street singing away. By the time after I finished my first painting and setting up for the next one they did not stand there long enough for me to capture their images on my canvas. What I put on the canvas was just a fleeting impression of them singing with their stance somehow visually echoed by that of the statue of a soldier in front of the court house. It was already around 4 pm by the time I finished this painting, and I had to wrap up quickly to drive to Riding Mountain National Park to start my outdoor painting workshop there. It was really an exciting as well as an exhausting day for me.

On the first day of Neepawa Lily Festival

While I was painting this street view at noon, the Lily Festival officially started with the Tremaine Sisters ' beautiful voice floating out of the lily lounge behind me. Their beautiful vocal performance with their repertoire of beautiful

pieces of music all my favorite served as such a wonderful backdrop to the whole festivities on the street. Suddenly the last line from Wordsworth's poem Young solitary Reaper came back to my memory " The music in my heart I bore, long after it was heard no more." A delightful encounter on the street with the well known young Ladybug Hannah with her mother whom I first met a few years ago in Brandon at Keystone Center where Hannah was one of the invited guest speakers.

Beyond the Garden Gate

Today marks the first day of Neepawa Lily Festival. For this occasion I drove to Neepawa early in the morning when people on the street were just setting up for the festival. I also set up my easel right on the side walk in front of the store. The hanging flower baskets and the business sign of Beyond the Garden Gate right across from the County Court House building was the subject of my first painting for the day. It was nice to see Brent again who is one of the owners of Beyond the Garden Gate and whom I met the first day when I came out to paint in Neepawa.

From a church yard

We had a picnic sitting on a garden chair enjoying the view of the garden in full bloom in the quiet and sunny churchyard of the Knox Presbyterian Church after I finished this painting on site.

A glimpse of Lake Irwin

We reached the top of an uphill slope to try to get a glimpse of Lake Irwin. The lake below with its quiet mirror like surface , the few aspens lining up along the road , the distant bluish range of hills with stretches of farm fields , the blue expanse of sky with few wisps of white clouds and collecting it all visually the quiet gravel road stretching away like a shining ribbon all unfold in front of me enticing me to capture them onto my canvas.

Riverbend Park

It was dark and cloudy with a threat of rain when we reached the park. However the sight of a few kids playing around on the bank with their reflection thrown onto the river was enough to make me stop to paint.

A canola field on Lake Irwin

At the end of a gravel road leading up a steep slop along the lake, an open stretch of canola field greeted my eyes. Instead of painting a view of the lake I decided to paint the view of what appeared to be a golden sea of canola field stretching far into the distance with dark looming clouds gathering over the sky.

From the shore of Lake Irwin

Just a few miles away along Highway 5, we find Lake Irwin which is connected to White Mud River. While picnicking on its shore I did a small oil painting of this stretch of canola field edged by a fence of trees and a field of wild violet colored flowers.