Nature's Blessings

Nature's Blessings is a paint by numbers kit for adults, taken from Russ Duerksen's painting of a lakeside dock in full summer.

A weathered wooden dock runs out over the water, its railings hung with baskets of red geraniums, petunias and trailing white blooms. Two Canada geese have made themselves at home on the boards, a mallard pair rests behind them, and a swan crosses the open water on the right. Goldfinches, a blue jay and a cardinal are working the flowers, butterflies move through the black-eyed susans and daisies along the near edge, and a flag hangs off the far post with a heron standing out in the shallows.

Duerksen fills a canvas without letting it feel crowded, which is harder than it looks. Ledgebay licenses the original artwork rather than copying a stock image, so what you finish is a real painting, not a generic design.

What's in the box

• Pre-printed cotton canvas, rolled in a tube rather than folded, so it arrives without creases to iron out
• Full set of acrylic paints, vacuum-sealed so they arrive moist
• Four brushes in different sizes, wooden handles
• Printed instructions and a full-color reference photo
• An 11" x 17" printout of the design, useful if you'd rather not lean over the canvas
• Framed sizes also include a wooden tabletop easel

Choosing a size

The framed 12x16 and framed 16x20 arrive pre-stretched on a wooden frame, ready to hang the moment you put the brush down. No mounting, no separate frame to buy. The unframed 16x20 gives you the same canvas and the same paints for less. It is trimmed close to the printed edge, so it suits taping or mounting to a board rather than stretching over your own frame.

Will I be able to see the numbers?

The 16x20 is the easier of the two sizes on the eyes, and the 11" x 17" printout means you can check a section without leaning over the canvas. One reviewer found the numbers on this design could be clearer, so it is worth painting under a good lamp. Most people paint with a lamp pulled close and reading glasses on. For the finest sections a magnifier helps, and plenty of our customers keep one on the table.

Who it suits

This carries a perfect rating from its reviewers, and the same reviewers call it a more advanced kit. There is no single large restful area anywhere on it: the flowers, the birds and the boards of the dock all ask for attention. Choose it if you like a canvas with a great deal going on and you are happy to spend the hours. It is not the one to learn on, and the 16x20 is strongly the better size.

Common questions

Do I need any painting experience?
None. Every section is printed with a number that matches a numbered pot, so there is no drawing, no color mixing and nothing to work out in advance. Start with the biggest areas and work down.

How long does Nature's Blessings take?
Longer than most. Budget nearer 25 hours than 15 on a 16x20, a bit at a time over several weeks. There is no rush and nothing spoils if you leave it a while.

Where should I start on something this busy?
The water and the sky first, then the dock boards, then the flowers, and the birds last. Working background to foreground means a wobbly edge gets covered by whatever goes on top of it.

What if a color runs low or dries out?
There is a matching replacement paint set for this design, so a dried pot never ends the project. If a pot has only thickened, a drop of water and a stir usually brings it back.