tiny sketch challenge, done!

Leslie Stroz, an artist in the UK that I follow, began a “100 Tiny Treasures” art challenge earlier this year to create 100 tiny paintings during 2025. I decided to do 50 instead — less pressure and that’s all that would fit in my tin box! Today I did my 50th painting, the Nuthatch in the above group, from a photo prompt Leslie posted on her Patreon site.

The second photo shows the whole pile of my tiny sketches, and the third photo shows them inside my favorite plaid tin (yes, the lid will actually close if I place them in neatly). Many were done during short camping trips and hold special memories. My favorite has to be the one of my Corgi, Butters.  

I painted the Nuthatch in a different technique that I’m beginning to play around with. No ink lines; I used both watercolor and gouache from my large gold Folio palette (a Travel & Sketch palette from Traveler’s Company USA) and just a touch here and there with a colored pencil.

When I recently put the muted gouache & watercolor combo palette together, I mixed several of the colors myself right in the pans with a toothpick. I want to try painting directly with these colors with very little pre-mixing of colors except where they naturally mix on the paper.

I also splurged on a new gold Demi palette from Art Toolkit’ Christmas collection and filled it with gouache as a tiny companion to the Folio palette that I can carry with me when we are away from home.