This painting was done on a 8×10 canvas, and the reference is one from an Ali Kay Fresh Paint class. I mostly followed the original photo (included in the class) rather than the revised reference or Ali Kay’s final painting.

Back in March I painted two children building a snowman based off an Ali Kay Fresh Paint reference. I called it done, but the girl’s hat bothered me. So, I finally fixed it! (The new version is on the left, looking more like a hat with a poufy pom-pom.)

Note: the difference in painting shades is due to the light at the time the photos were taken.

This orange rose painting (8×8 linen panel) is based off a reference from the Fresh Paint online course. I skipped the tutorial and just painted based on the reference. I’m including a photo from a distance, as it seems all my paintings look a bit better from afar!

The top rose is, obviously, the final.

This is on an 8×10 canvas, and after I more or less followed Ali Kay’s reference, I redid it and more closely followed the reference photo.

I was watching one of Ali Kay’s videos about how big should you paint. She herself prefers larger surfaces in part because you can use bigger brushes and brushstrokes, and don’t have to be so tight and detailed like you might with an 8×10 canvas. She suggests beginners go with 11×14 or 12×12 surfaces. (I mostly have 6×6, 8×8, 8×10 and 9×12). This is different from my online teachers at Acrylic University who suggest you paint small to knock out more paintings from scratch.

Anyway, the version with the clouds was my first version; the light blue sky (and tilted Tower!) is my second version.

This painting on a 9×12 canvas is based on a reference in Acrylic University. Unfortunately, the photographer’s name was not provided. I took the reference from a section on painting clouds, so that is the focus. I’m actually fairly pleased with how the clouds turned out.

I’m not entirely satisfied with this, which is based off a Fresh Paint lesson — I think my other autumn tree is better. Moving on…

8×8 canvas panel

I got bored painting this and did not finish. It’s from a class I took via Will Kemp Art. Nothing wrong with the course, just not in the mood for painting a vase of sunflowers. Maybe I’ll get back to it later.

12×16 canvas.

This is a painting from a “Bloom” class by Jed Dorsey at Acrylic University. I haven’t finished it yet, because, honestly, I’m a bit bored with it and want to paint other things. But I’m posting it because I’ve FINALLY started painting again.

8×8 canvas panel.

It’s funny… when I display some of my paintings, over time I get to like them more. As an example, I wasn’t crazy about the river/canal painting I did as a part of the Jed Dorsey “Bloom” class, but the more I see it the more I’m liking it.

I continue to like the pancakes with blueberries, and even the Black Labrador. My favorite, though, is the sailboat at sunset. (All those were painted based off references from Ali Kay’s Fresh Paint course.

I am still not thrilled with the 2 floral paintings I did based off my own references. Sigh.