Sunset clear lake

A watercolor sketch from a summer morning

A watercolor sketch from the summer

Another quick watercolor sketch done in the summer

A quick watercolor sketch from the summer

A watercolor sketch of a view on Balmoral Bay in the summer

Another view over our hedges painted in gouache.

A few gouache and water color plein air paintings painted around our house over the summer

A glimpse over our hedges painted in gouache. The last time I ever tried gouache painting was over 30 years ago when I was still a teenager back in the far northwestern China.

Sunsetting view of Clear Lake from the 9th hole of the Golf Course

It was such a spectacular view looking down from the 9th hole of the golf course. The lake was sparkling in the late afternoon sunlight and after a brief shower of rain the air was fresh with the sent of the pines and spruce. I wasted no time trying to capture the fleeting moment with one hand graping a piece of sandwich and the other with a brush.

Garden behind Clear Lake Information Center

It was already close to five p.m when I started this painting at the end of my outdoor painting workshop.

Gathering clouds over Clear Lake

At the end of my outdoor painting workshop, I stayed to paint on the lake when it was getting cloudy and dark again with the clouds looming large over the lake.

Wilson' s Place

A heritage house

A glimpse of North Hill

A view of Assiniboine River

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.

Lake Katharine-- the enchanted lake

At the end of my outdoor painting workshop, we drove down to Lake Katerine in the Riding Mountain National Park. It was such a beautiful moment of the day when the intense but mellow summer afternoon sunlight imputed an enchanted mood to the lake and turned its water into a sheen of emerald green. A group of people with children came to visit the lake and the kids were quite fascinated to see me painting on the spot and kept on checking on my progress to make sure that I could paint them onto my canvas. I had to explain how it was impossible to represent individual human figure visually on a small piece of canvas. Hope I did not disappointed them. We lingered on the lake sitting there at a picnic table indulging ourselves in the warm embracing of its enchanted arms.

Land of Aspens a view from lake Katharine

If I had but just one choice as to which image I am allowed to tuck it away into my memory when years and years down the road , this part of the world becomes a distant memory, I would pick the image of the trembling aspens. It was to bend on seeking a view of aspens to paint, we found ourselves at Lake Katherine again after my outdoor landscape painting at Clear Lake. I remember last year around same time of the year, I painted this view while it was raining heavily and I had to use an umbrella to shelter my painting from the rain. This year lake Katerine was in a totally different mood where the wood of aspens were soaked and steeped in the warm wash of late afternoon sunlight.

A Day at Clear Lake ---- Summer of 2009

Today is my second day of outdoor painting workshop, for our practice we as a group decided to come to this spot to paint where the huge elm trees with their shady canopy of foliage provided us with such a pleasant shelter from the wind and sun. I painted this view on a large piece of canvas when the morning sunlight transfigured everything in sight and when the lake front was live with human activities.

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.

Clear Lake

As a demonstration for my outdoor painting workshop, I did this painting right beside the park office building. I was attracted by the intense color and light of the early morning hours. The few tall and handsome aspen trees and elms and spruce,sanding like a sentry against the blue sky and lake was visually counterbalance by the horizontal sweep of the lake front as well as by the casting shadows of the trees. I really enjoyed the chatting with passers-by who were all so curiouse by the sight of a group of painters who painted right on location. At the end of the day each of us did a lovely painting.

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.