AN ARTIST is challenging himself to complete one landscape painting every day, capturing the beautiful sights of west Dorset.
Peter Dixon, 36, from Waytown, has set himself a goal of creating 29 A5 paintings across the month of February.
This is the second time he has chosen to undertake this challenge, starting in February last year with the intention of building up his painting speed.
He said: “I always been artistic, but I never really took to painting until I joined the army. I was posted to North Yorkshire, and I had nothing to do so I took up a new hobby. I inherited paints from my grandad who passed away and I began the challenge to speed up my work as I was such a slow painter.”
After serving in the armed forces for 10 years, he decided to pursue art full time and became self-employed after his 2023 painting challenge garnered him a social media following.
Since the initial project concluded, his paintings not only generated a substantial income through online sales, but they were also exhibited at the Bridport Art Market.
This year, Peter is using the project to raise money for Huntington’s Disease Association. The condition damages nerve cells in the brain causing them to stop working properly.
The charity was chosen as Peter’s wife, Joey, has family who have been affected by the disease.
Joey, 36, originally from Vancouver Island, Canada, said: “We agreed to raise money for Huntington’s Disease Association as it is close to my family.
"My dad’s side of the family was unfortunately touched by the disease and we had so much good will and support from people there. So, we’re hoping to do the same here and raise awareness.”
Peter has also decided to capture sights specifically around west Dorset, showcasing the “beauty” which he believes is often taken for granted.
“Last year I kind of just picked random sites with no coherence. With the collection this year, I’m focusing on landscapes around Dorset, and I’ve started getting up early to capture sunrises like at the West Bay cliffs and at St Catherine’s Hill. They’re just really nice scenes.”
Joey added: “We’ve had feedback from people saying it’s so nice to see views of local places and paints a different views of these beautiful sights people take for granted. And there's still so many places yet to cover. ”
Peter has launched a Crowdfunder for the project and announced on February 29, there will be a prize draw where donators can win the final painting.
You can donate to the fundraiser by following the Crowdfunder link: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/peterdixonart
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here