The back alley on Balmoral Bay with the old willow trees

A glimpse of the back alley on Balmoral Bay. Still quite warm. Can feel the warm afternoon sun beating down my neck while standing there painting this view in acrylic this afternoon.

Our empty patio

How quickly another year is reaching its finale! The empty table with empty flower pots standing on the empty patio in fading afternoon sunlight always makes one feel a little bit  melancholy somehow. A quick acrylic sketch for today.

In the fast fading light

In a blink of an eye, the light faded away, leaving darkness and shadow behind. A quick acrylic sketch from the bedroom window.

In the last glow of the day

Standing on the path leading from Balmoral Bay to Macleod Drive, I am captivated by the warm glow of the color of the hedges in the sun. A quick acrylic sketch for the day.

In the receding sunlight at a back alley on Balmoral Bay

It was such a joy to paint this view standing in the  warm sunlight even though it was already in November. A quick acrylic sketch before sunset.

Looking across the front yards

The sun was barely visible at noon , but soon started to break out of the clouds. The two small elms were stretching out their graceful limbs into a wintry sky. A quick acrylic sketch at noon before heading for my shift at 2:00 p.m.

On Halloween Eve

A quick acrylic sketch on the dark and cloudy night when the warm street lights washed over the empty driveway and the hedges as if echoing the few bright lights from the windows across the street.

Winter prelude

Cold and wet, I could feel the winter in the air when I set up my easel painting this view of Balmoral Bay in the morning.

Prelude to winter

Upon opening the door this morning, I saw there was a thin accumulation of snow on the roofs and ground from over the night. A quick acrylic sketch before breakfast.

When the street light is on

Steeped in the warm sunlight

A backyard steeped in warm sunlight is such a delightful sight after two days of continuous rain and cold wind. A quick acrylic sketch before supper.

A glimpse of our backyard on another bleak day

O, another bleak day brooding over snow, at least it seems to be. A quick acrylic sketch for the day.

Prelude to the first snow fall of the year!

The first snow fall is on the way now and will reach us tonight. You can tell winter is just around the corner. A quick acrylic sketch for today at the doorway before supper.

Prelude to the first snow fall of the year!

Cold and windy and rainy all day long. Definitely snow fall was on the way! A quick acrylic sketch through the window.

A glimpse of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of Brandon

Caught a glimpse of the Ukrainian Catholic church of Brandon from the pedestrian ramp of the old 8th Street in Downtown Brandon. Definitely would come back to the same spot to paint again.

My cup of tea

I call it my cup of tea. An acrylic sketch of the still life set up intending it for the upcoming art auction event The Mad Hatter's ARtea and Partea presented by the Art Gallery of southwestern Manitoba on Saturday November 13 from 2 PM to 4 PM. 

A glimpse of our backyard from behind the hedges

A quick acrylic sketch from the other side of the hedges in late afternoon.

A glimpse of our neighborhood through our window in the morning

Could not go back to sleep on Saturday morning. Pulled up the curtain revealing a beautiful quiet morning; start of another beautiful fall day with a  gentleman passing by with his dog. A quick acrylic sketch.

Full moon night

It will be another full moon night today. It is  an ethereal  beautiful sight when it starts to climb up to the dome of the night sky before the last rays of sunlight recedes. A quick acrylic sketch from the window.

A piece of Brandon History

This house standing on the corner of 13th Street and Lorne Avenue of Brandon certainly is a witness  to the growth of Brandon as city. Personally, it always reminds me of my early days in Brandon when I first moved over from China to Brandon almost 20 years ago. The current owner invested lots of time and money into the renovation of it trying to restore it to its original glory. Hope this landmark of Brandon will forever be part of Brandon urban landscape.

Upon opening the door in the morning

Really exciting to see the warm sunlight pouring in upon opening the front door in the morning. A quick acrylic sketch of what I saw.

A glimpse from our backyard in late afternoon

Flower bed in the receding sunlight

A quick acrylic sketch of the flowerbed in the receding sunlight in the backyard before supper.

A view over the hedges

A quick acrylic sketch of the wooded spot behind the hedges when most of the leaves are gone.

A window view before supper

A quick acrylic sketch before supper when light started to fade quickly.

Moon is rising

Upon opening the front door, the sight of the rising moon is simply so beautiful that I could not let it pass. Setting up my easel at the door and with the help of a flashlight again, I did a quick acrylic sketch of what I saw

Another view from the same spot

Just by  moving my easel a bit , I painted another oil sketch of the quiet street where bagged leaves and pumpkins on the front yard seemed to be waiting for the light and dancing steps of trick-o treat kids.

Balmoral Bay in the afternoon

Though painted this view countless times, standing at this spot I was still captivated by what I saw at the moment: a view of a quiet neighborhood in a quiet afternoon  with a lady walking her dog, and with fallen leaves piled up ready to be bagged .

A glimpse of Rideau Street of Brandon

After the first oil sketch done, I found myself standing on Rideau Street and Lorne Avenue, really captivated by the unique view of the street which goes so steeply down. I can imagine how many kids from this neighborhood must have so much fond memory of it in winter from their childhood years. The wind was getting really bad when I was in midst of painting, and when I was just about to finish , a strong gust of wind  tumbled my easel sending everything in big mess.

Brandon Rideau Park in the morning

Today is 29th  International Sketch Crawl Day when people all over the world will gather in small groups  to go out sketching in whatever medium and as much as they can.  A few of us from Brandon met at Rideau Park in the morning to start the day. Due to windy condition, only three of us showed up,Becky Chinn  Curt Shoultz , and me. It was cold and windy when I started this oil sketch , and I had to hold the easel with one hand to keep it from being blown away. Nevertheless, it was quite an enjoyable experience to stand there to feel the fresh and ambient late Autumn

 air.