Mouse Sleeping Under Storybook Fly Agaric Mushrooms Watercolor Painting
By Charlie

Lost In A Dream

Written by Charlie O'Shields

For our prompt of “Mushrooms” today, I opted for some in a bit of a storybook style. It’s Monday and the day was rather gray and rainy. So, I wanted some spring colors instead. My mind kept wandering a bit and it was hard to stay focused. Out of my list of things to get done, the most important things all happened, but I’m still a bit behind on everything else. Yet, I was rather happy today in that way you can’t quite explain. Instead of feeling stressed, I just went into a rather dreamlike state. This particular sketch is simply a quick doodle of what I saw in my mind. Indeed, I wish I could curl up and nap under a mushroom. I’ve always thought it would be cool to experience the world in a miniature size. It’s sometimes hard to notice the little things in the world when you’re towering over them. In life, it’s always good to look at things from a different perspective.

In truth, today was one of those odd days were I was in a good mood, but not particularly motivated to DO much of anything. Everything I attempted to do felt drawn out and forced and nothing seemed to be coming very easily. As much I should say that I simply pushed through, instead, I did what I always do. I gave in to that lethargy and let it take me where it wanted to go. Although this sounds perfectly counterintuitive, I know me and it’s exactly what works best. I just move to other things and distract myself for a bit and then come back to whatever it was I working on and I always feel a bit more refreshed. This always works when it’s a problem I can’t solve, but also works when I’m just feeling a touch uninspired. Granted, I didn’t get everything on my list done, but what I did manage to DO, I did pretty well. To me, that’s the best goal. I’ve no desire to check something off my list, simply to make it disappear. I want to earn that check mark.

I say this like I make proper lists, and I actually don’t do that, although it sounds like a pretty productive idea. My list is all in my head and I rarely write anything down. I know this sounds crazy, because it totally is, but that’s just how my mind works. For large projects, I get a touch more organized to keep track of everything, but for smaller tasks, I just file everything in my mind. Most all of my work is of a creative nature, so my brain becomes a melting pot of various ideas. I don’t like to keep them neatly separated because one idea can then influence another one. A random association that I might miss if I had attempted to place everything into neat little columns. Real life never really fits into neat little columns. A problem on one project leads me to a solution on another and vice versa. It’s a sure path to get to more magical thinking, but drives most people crazy just thinking about approaching anything this way. And, as much as I have wished in life to be a bit more organized, it’s strangely worked out for me to spend the majority of it lost in a dream.

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About the Doodlewash

Da Vinci Paint Co.: Hansa Yellow Medium, Quinacridone Red, Terra Cotta, Cobalt Turquoise, and Ultramarine (Green Shade). Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen (Broad Nib) with black ink  in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop!
 Mouse Sleeping Under Storybook Fly Agaric Mushrooms Watercolor Painting Sketchbook Detail

 

Charlie O'Shields

Creator of Doodlewash, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world!

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24 thoughts on “Lost In A Dream”

  4. Cute painting! And yes, you would have made me crazy. I made lists like mad when I was working. There were too many working parts to running a library for me not to have both a list, and a calendar. Now that I’m retired, I still keep lists. I have a running grocery list–Philippe must keep one of those–and assorted others like a garden list, and a list of things my housekeeping girl needs to do. I even have a death playlist of all of the songs that I want played at my funeral. 😂

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! 😃💕 haha!!! I KNEW I would have made you crazy! lol Lists are awesome… I DO use them for things like World Watercolor Month and big work projects. But at home? No lists… so Philippe would drive you nuts as well. He keeps his grocery list in his head. 😊 Now a funeral playlist… that’s just smart!!

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  5. Hey! I just realized, if I get too far behind, I’ve already done a page with a mushroom. Check! What a good feeling. Your little mouse is so cute snuggled under the mushroom. I just watched another Hallmark Val movie today and they approached a problem in a different way that solved it. Instead of moving the tree, they moved the underground pipes to above ground. Whether in real life it would work, is another question. LOL

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  12. What a charming painting, Charlie. I just sent my younger grandson, who studied mushrooms in his kindergarten class and became fascinated with them, a watercolor of mushrooms and banana slugs. When he got the card, he asked his dad how I knew what color banana slugs are. I’m in awe of all that he’s learning about life, he’s surprised I know anything at all.

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