On a partially cloudy afternoon when I looked out of the window

A glimpse of our backyard in the afternoon

A glimpse from our door way at noon

A glimpse of our backyard with Ping's flowerbed covered with snow

Got up very late today. It was about noon already. Way too cold to paint outdoor today, I stayed in the house and did a quick oil sketch of our tiny backyard with the snow-covered flower bed.

In the last glow

After warming myself up in the house, came out to finish my last oil sketch for the day. It was already late in the afternoon, but the grove of trees and part of the hedges glowed in the last night.

Glow in the sun

Despite the cold, I stayed on, and did another quick oil sketch before it was too cold to continue.

Across our front yard

As we got out of our car on our driveway, the sight of the snow with long shadows of the trees dazzling in the sun proved so irresistible to me that I grabbed my easel ,and set up in a hurry  painting away in 20 below.

"Tender is the night"

Standing by the window looking out , I always feel touched by the sight of a winter night when the street light is on , and flicks of lights start to twinkle through the windows of houses across the street.

Sense of home

Looking across the street, saw the last light lighting up the walls of our neighbor's house, and the trees soaring above it  ahead of the long shadows of the evening. Another quick oil sketch from the window.

Snow-covered hedges

what can be more plain than a snow-covered hedge in winter? Yet, there is something about it witch just entices me to more and more painting of it. Is it because of the brilliant light and shadow, which sings out loud and clear in the sun touching the string of my heart?

On the first morning of the year 2011

First morning of the year, sunny and beautiful, though cold as usual. Looking out of the bedroom window, saw a gentleman walking a dog passing by in the glow of morning sun. Comment sight,though it is , incredibly touching to me. A quick oil sketch , the first for the new year!

Sunset moment on the last day of the year

This is my way to say goodbye to the year 2010! As the sun is setting , I am standing by the window looking out with my pochade box trying to leaving the last impression behind.

One more window view early in the afternoon

One more window view early in the afternoon of the wooded spot over the hedges.

Another glimpse from our living room window

Another quick oil sketch looking out of the window at noon.

A glimpse from our doorway

Simply too cold to paint outdoor. I did this quick oil sketch looking out of the door at 10 a.m.

Dawn on the last day of the year

Trying to paint as many paintings as possible on the last day of the year, I got up early in the morning to sit at the table with my pochade box looking out of the window. The early morning sunlight was lighting  up the trees and the snow covered roof in the backyard.

In the receding sunlight

Always captivated by the snow-covered hedges as they glow with the snow in the last light.

From our front yard this morning

What a beautiful winter morning!

Window view on a beautiful morning

Crispy clear sky and beautiful sunrise greeted us this morning instead of an expected snow storm. What a pleasant surprise!

An amusing moment

1. Did a quick oil sketch of Fengping quite amused by what was going on in a Mainland China reality dating show on internet while she was knitting a mitten at the the table.

Looking out of the bedroom window early in the morning

The sunlight appeared only briefly this morning before it disappeared. I am glad that I did pull up the curtain and did this oil sketch standing by the window.

Whose house is this ?

Again I had to stopped my car on my way home to paint a quick oil sketch of this impressive house close to Super Store.

An impressive profile of a house on Victoria Avenue of Brandon

It may take me forever to get home today, for I stopped my car again and did this oil sketch of An impressive profile of a house on Victoria Avenue of Brandon.

A glimpse of St. Augustin Roman Catholic Church of Brandon

Have to give Sarah a ride to Ten Thousand Village where she will do volunteer work for today. On my way home I stopped on Lorne Ave and did this quick oil sketch of St. Augustin Roman Catholic Church of Brandon steeped in early morning sunlight

The sunset moment - a glimpse out of the window

Another quick oil sketch done before our quests arrived for dinner.

A glimpse of Balmoral Bay

Took my tiny pochade box across the street , and did this quick oil sketch at 3 p.m.

A glimpse of Brandon University Original Building

Stopped at Lorne Ave and 18th Street on my way to the Corral Center and did a quick oil sketch from the car at 2 p.m.

When the sunlight hit the grove of willow trees in the backyard

Early in the morning looking out of the window

Another view of our backyard on Boxing Day morning

This is my 4th painting for the Boxing Day morning , and I have been painting nonstop for 5 hours now.