By Charlie

A Candy Apple

Written by Charlie O'Shields

Today we have a bright red candy apple, which seemed to suit the season, although, in truth, I’ve never tried one in my life! When I was a kid, we’d only have caramel apples, but never this variety. I only remember that when I was little and about to lose a tooth, I could bite into a caramel apple to speed up the process. It was miraculous. Out your tooth would come in an instant, hopefully not bringing other teeth with it.  Ready to place under your pillow to get a little extra change from the tooth fairy that night. Also, when I was a kid, there was an urban myth that circulated around Halloween that children were receiving candy apples with razor blades in them. Hospitals offered free x-rays of apples for anyone who felt they needed the piece of mind, but not one claim was ever substantiated, making it simply a piece of popular lore. As an adult, I kind of want to try these again, but don’t want to risk the now irreversible tooth loss.

Though I didn’t have this type of apple, its origin comes from red cinnamon candy which I did have back in the day. Give me a box of Red Hots and I was in heaven! After these, the more gummy variety called Hot Tamales were also a favorite. Since I loved the candies that inspired this type of apple I feel a bit robbed that I never had the chance to try one. I think I would have really enjoyed it. But tastes change and now I’m not quite as much of a cinnamon guy as I used to be back then. Philippe remarked when he came to the States that we Americans seem to really love cinnamon. It’s true. We’ll find ways to add it to nearly everything, especially this time of the year. The smell alone makes me think of the holidays and I get a little excited. Okay, I get totally thrilled by the thought that Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up next. Holidays built around traditions, family and food are the best and to have two of them back to back makes for an amazing time of year.

I know there’s always a running theme to my blog posts. An idea that the simple things in life and the simple times of youth are something to celebrate. It pervades my art and my writing, which together, make up what is ultimately my art form. Well, never sure what constitutes an “art form,” but at least my daily creative offering into the world. Bits of ephemera and memories that aren’t really much of anything really on their own. But, I hope when they mingle with your memories something that almost resembles art might occur. That moment when you connect with something on a level that has less to do with what you’re seeing and more to do with what you’re feeling in that moment. That’s when art truly shines and makes something meaningful. Sometimes, in life, the things that are the sweetest come in the most unassuming forms. Like a candy apple.

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About the Doodlewash

Da Vinci Paint Co.: Yellow Ochre, Quinacridone Red, Terra Cotta and Cobalt Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Photo Reference: Constantin Barbu, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
 #WorldWatercolorGroup - Day 2 - Candy Apples - Doodlewash

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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40 thoughts on “A Candy Apple”

  1. This is one gorgeous candy apple, Charlie, with its paper wrapper looking like a ballerina’s tutu. If you would really like to try one, just cut it into slices. It’s a pretty good way to turn something healthy into junk food.

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  3. I just love that about you. It’s so much more than an art blog! It’s crazy – I ALMOST did a caramel apple today, and I chickened out. It’s something I probably wouldn’t eat now, but oh how I loved the taste, and how it conjures up our Halloween festivals in elementary school.

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  7. yep, this is the time year that no matter where I look I want another pumpkin pie spiced coffee or another chai latte or some such. I do love this season. And it snowed for the first time this year today! PUUUURRRTY but thank god I’ve got no where to go… isn’t there a song about that?

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  8. Love the shine on your beautiful candy apple. Yes, here they are popular around hallowe’en. I’ve never had a caramel apple, but I did have a red candy one once. It wasn’t cinnamon flavoured though, and it wasn’t spicy: it was cherry. It tasted good. Well, hahahaha! The candy part tasted good. After all the candy sweetness, the apple tasted quite sour, so I didn’t eat it.

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  9. Love the cupcake wrapper as much as the apple! Did you know there are 100s of kinds of cinnamon? Unfortunately, I’m allergic to kind used to flavor candy and candied apples. Raises blisters on my tongue. So I’ll just enjoy paintings like yours and leave the candied apples for someone else!

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  11. You’ve painted a great looking candy apple, Charlie. I did have a cinnamon candy apple as a kid, just one. I enjoyed the cinnamon taste of the candy but it was hard and the thin candy coating cracked with small pieces falling off with each bite. My preference was the gooeyness of caramel with chopped peanuts on those apples. Thanks for the memories!

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  14. If I’m not having chocolate, I’d say I’m more of a caramel apple sort of girl, with chocolate things stuck in the caramel. Lol. A local grocer around here make the BEST gourmet caramel apples. Every year when they offer them, a few seem to make their way to our office and we chop them up so everyone gets a slice.

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  15. Wonderful candy apple, Charlie! And I just realized that I don’t think I’ve ever had one, either. Caramel apples, yes. But candy apples we just saw in the store and never bought. Somehow, the crunchy outside seems to not make sense, except in your painting!

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  18. Mmm… I don’t know about candy apples, but toffee apples (covered in hard caramel… very hard caramel) certainly were the thing to take out teeth! I love the doodle. 🙂

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