Written by Since I’ve already sketched escargot previously, I figured I’d just do a snail and food pairing for today’s answer to the prompt. I didn’t have much time, so choosing something this ridiculously complex was probably not a wise option. But, I never usual let rational decisions hold me back in life and just prefer to run on sheer impulse. Sort of like this snail attacking an innocent strawberry. Truthfully, I feel like this week I’ve been running at a snail’s pace. I’m not sure why, but it seems like I’m always running behind and can never quite get caught up with all the things I have to do. Granted, all things are relative and it makes me wonder if a snail ever feels like he’s moving slowly. I’m sure it’s possible. And this thought gives me some comfort. Tonight, I’m hoping to relax a bit and just lean into this snail mentality. Seriously, they seem to know exactly how to take life easy and enjoy it as it comes.
This is also a perfect example where my sudden impulse produces a doodlewash that produces no particular story in my mind. I’m staring at a mollusc having a snack and wondering how on earth it that image appeared there. But I think that’s been the fun part of this art journey. Some days I might plan something that’s been weighing on my mind and other days I just let the pen and brush take me wherever they want. Either way, the joy of having made anything at all is always a win. Taking that blank page of my sketchbook and adding something that wasn’t there before is really main goal. And the fact that I’ve done it daily, without fail, since I began is quite a victory. For 663 consecutive days, I’ve managed to doodlewash something and post it here for you to see. That’s asking quite a lot of you really. I mean, honestly, I’m sure some days you’re like, enough already! But see, I simply can’t stop. It’s become something that I must do each day.
It occurred to me that I’ve almost moved from habit to pure instinct. Grabbing for my pen and brush has become as natural as breathing. It’s becoming part of who I am. Not making something would make me feel like I’m not quite a whole person. This might sound a bit insane, but I think it’s more just the same drive that many artists feel. That need to create isn’t something that you can or should control. It’s a passion that should always be allowed to flourish and a feeling that should only ever be embraced. Though we might question many things about life, when it comes to creativity, it’s really just life itself. So, whether I find myself rushing or moving at a pace I wished would go faster, I enjoy each and every moment. I’m not trying to make a masterpiece, but just letting my instinct take me to the next place. Attracted to whatever moves me most, like a snail and a strawberry.
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About the DoodlewashSennelier L’Aquarelle: Red Orange, Sennelier Red, Phthalo. Green Pale, Phthalocyanine Blue, Burnt Sienna, and Payne’s Grey. Lamy Safari Al-Star Fountain Pen – Extra Fine,
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with Platinum Carbon black ink in an A6 
Hope you enjoy a lovely snails pace kind of evening.
Thanks so much, Susan! 😃💕
Very bold colors. That snail looks quite contented with such a big strawberry dinner.
Thanks so much!! Glad you liked this! 😃💕
Somehow this snail looks very predatory. It’s a great painting with lots of action and detail. Glad you picked a simple subject, can’t wait till you try something really complex. Hee hee hee.
Lol… I know right? What was I thinking? Haha I have a tendency to pick complex subjects thinking they’re not as hard as they actually are. Oh well… hehe… glad ya liked my snail! 😃💕
wonderful detail and colors on this one (K)
Thanks so much, Kerfe! 😃💕
663 days? I’m surprised your arms hasn’t dropped off!
JP
haha! I know, right? That’s quite a lot of days for anything. I sometimes wonder what I would look like if all that time had been spent working out! 😊hehe
What a charming wee painting. One of my sisters would especially love it since strawberries and snails are two of her most favourite things. She had pet giant African land snails when we were growing up and they used to escape and slime all over my bed. Nice. But I digress – You did a great job of rendering the various textures in this study and I especially like how you handled the highlights.
I totally understand your feeling of always running behind. I feel like that every day of every week. I am coming to realise that my problem is not that I am too slow at getting through chores, tasks, commitments, but is more that I set myself an unrealistic goal in terms of how much I expect to get through. I feel (near) constantly harried and flustered and busy yet feel like I am not accomplishing enough. I think I need to adjust my mindset on that.
Yep… I think it only comes down to adjusting our mindsets. I’ve given up trying to do it “all” and just settle for the lovely things I can accomplish! hehe But I still get frustrated some days. Glad you liked my doodlewash! 😃💕 This is dedicated to your sister then!!
The snail is just as innocent as the strawberry. Neither would waste time worrying about “rational” decisions, let alone letting anything hold them back in life. : – ) The pleasure you get (and share with us) filling blank pages with bits of Charlie sounds pretty sane to me. Thanks for slowing down to share your life. I enjoy slowing down to check up and see what Charlie is seeing and thinking.
Aww thanks so much, Elizabeth! 😃💕 What a lovely comment! I truly appreciate that!
Beautiful piece! And you’re right, feeling empty because you haven’t made something isn’t insane; artists, writers etc need to create to be who we are. It’s our way of bringing light and color to the world.
So true!! And thanks so much, Laura! 😃💕 Glad you liked this post!