Landscape

52 Mini Paintings Challenge: Week #12 – REDO in 2026

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This is a redo of the week 12 painting for Jed Dorsey’s Mini Painting Challenge at Acrylic University, based on my observations of mistakes I made in the original painting. The idea was to get the proportions more accurate, the perspective/distance more accurate, and to convey a better sense of form (namely, that the trees were at the top of and behind a hill).

I painted it on a 5×5 canvas panel. For the sky I used Liquitex Soft Body Light Blue Permanent (PB15, PG7, PW6) and mixed the lower latitudes with more white. The pine trees were painted with Atelier’s Forest Green (PY74, PB15.3, PR101) mixed with Phthalo Green (Blue Shade) and Ultramarine Blue. The darker grass was a mix of Atelier’s Forest Green with Cad-free Yellow Medium by Liquitex, and the lighter grass was a mix of Winsor’s Sap Green (PY74, PG7, PBk7, PW6) and Cad-free Yellow Medium.

Here is a comparison between the original I two years ago, and the one I did today. The newer painting is far from perfect — the trees are still wonky, the paint is gloppy on the trees and I think the grass should be lighter in value — but at least you can tell the trees are on a hill, and the rocks no longer “float”.

Here are some in-process photos of the redo:

Here’s a value comparison between the reference photo [credit: Mark Hadland] and my painting.

Travels Near & Far – Dianna Shyne – Week #3 (mini Painting challenge)

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This is Week #3 (called “Red Cliffs”) of “Travels Near & Far” — a mini painting challenge at Acrylic University, and the artist is Dianna Shyne who also took the reference photo used. As with the week #1 work, the photo is of Prince Edward Island, Canada.

This was painted on a 6×6 wooden panel, which I had toned with naphthol crimson some time ago. I am liking painting on wood. But I dislike the painting itself; the shadow looks fake, and the rock in the background looks more like a slice of chocolate pie! (LOL).

Trouble is, I don’t care enough about cliffs to repaint it. And I need to stop trying to copy Dianna’s style, and focus on the fundamentals.

(Well, I DID modify it a bit after all. The most current view is on the left. A somewhat better painting of cliffs is here.)


Travels Near & Far – Dianna Shyne – Week #1 (mini Painting challenge)

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To boost my confidence after not painting for over a year I signed up for another 52-week mini painting challenge at Acrylic University. This one is called “Travels Near & Far” and Dianna Shyne is the artist. I like her paintings almost as much as I like Jed Dorsey’s, so why not?

Week #1 (called “Last Rays”) comes from a reference photo she took on previous visits to Prince Edward Island. I’ve been to PEI myself — couldn’t resist checking out the tourist attractions related to that famous fictional character Anne Shirley (aka Anne of Green Gables) — so I understand the appeal.

This was painted on a 6×6 Claybord panel, toned in pink.


52 Mini Paintings Challenge: Week #38

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I went the entire 2025 calendar year without painting AT ALL — I was in ICU at the first of the year, and later, dealing with my dad’s metastatic cancer and eventual death. Just wasn’t inclined to pick up a brush.

Back in 2024 I started Jed Dorsey’s mini painting challenge series, but about halfway through the year I got bored of copying someone else’s artwork, so started skipping around with the mini challenge weeks. I only did about half of the 52 so now will do a few more of the remaining — those that most appeal to me.

This is the week 38 painting for Jed Dorsey’s Mini Painting Challenge at Acrylic University. It’s called “Mountain Atmosphere” and is based on a reference photo by Ravi Pinisetti. 6×6 canvas panel, toned in a medium-dark gray.

Cherry Tree… After Dianna Shyne

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Last week, the instructor Dianna Shyne led a workshop on the “Colors of Spring”, which included her painting four small studies of flowering trees and spring flowers. I was struck most by her field of daffodils, and this flowering tree. (I’m guessing it’s a cherry tree.) I did my own version of the reference photo, and here is my result. (I took a photo at a distance, because in some ways, the painting looks better from afar.) 8×10 stretched canvas.

Colors used: Titanium White, Quinacridone Magenta (PR122), Naphthol Red (PR112), Cad-Free Yellow Medium, Ultramarine Blue and Raw Umber. I toned the canvas a few months ago with Raw Umber and Titanium White.

Field of Daffodils… After Dianna Shyne

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One of the perks of Acrylic University membership is weekly classes/workshops livestreamed on YouTube. Last Friday, the instructor Dianna Shyne led a workshop on the “Colors of Spring”, which included her painting four small studies of flowering trees and spring flowers. One was of a field of daffodils, and since daffs are my favorite flower, I tried my own version of the reference photo she used.

This was done on an 8×10 stretched canvas, and the yellow used is (mostly) Liquitex Cad-Free Yellow Light (Lemon), with some Cad-Free Yellow Medium in the foreground. All the various shades of green were mixed from Cad-Free Yellow Light and Mars Black.

52 Mini Paintings Challenge: Week #12 – Value Adjustment

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After I completed the week 12 painting for Jed Dorsey’s Mini Painting Challenge at Acrylic University, and compared it to a grayscale of the reference image, I realized the values were off. So I’ve lightened the trees and the grass.

Here’s the value comparison between the reference image and the original painting, and then the reference and this updated version. The updated pic is, obviously, on the left. My trees and my grass were much too dark in my first attempt.