Share to XI haven’t been painting as much lately, as I have been busy putting the finishing touches on the next workshop on ponds and lakes (which should be ready within the next two weeks). But I did manage to complete one new painting: Mount Barney, Upper Portals.
I hiked to this spot with two friends back in December 2025. We camped around the corner for one night. It was wonderful. Just us and nature.
But as serene as it appears, it was not without risks. As we swam and relaxed in the stream, a giant brown snake decided to join us. It slithered out from one of the bushes, some 5 meters downstream from us, and swam across to the other side at a startling speed. All three of us were hit with the same realization that, if it wanted to get us, there wasn’t much we could do about it. And then just like that, it disappeared into another bush.
This is typical Australia. Beautiful but deadly. I tried to focus on the beauty of it in my painting.
I’ll put together some progress shots, closeups, and lessons learned when I get a chance. For now, I just wanted to put it out there so I can move on to the next one.
If you ever want to learn more, start with our fundamentals course.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
Draw Paint Academy
