Blowing In The Wind

Tonight I’m running super late, so we have this lightening quick little doodlewash of a kite for today’s prompt. This is a wildly difficult prompt on hindsight and I didn’t really know what to do with it to make it interesting. I asked Philippe for his suggestion and he immediately launched into a story of remembering a very simple kite he had as a kid. Though from Paris, his parents had purchased a kite in the United States that he still remembered. It was simple with no grand patterns, but was sturdy and well-built. He was only a toddler when he was first visiting here with them during that purchase, but would later enjoy the kite they had bought on that journey.  I was fascinated by his story, because the kites I had here as a kid were not so well constructed and more flimsy than he described. His kite was a masterpiece in his description while my memory of a kite was something wrapped in plastic from the drugstore. Perhaps I didn’t have the right kite flying experience to enhance the memory. Our memories are often just literal when they’re not attached to a moment that was particularly amazing.

When there’s a fun experience attached to something it can elevate the mundane to towering heights. My little plastic sled that I used as a child was something of legend, for example. The moments I remember sliding down a hill of snow are exciting and riveting! When it came to flying kites, I was mostly just terrified it would fly away. Exhilarating, yes, but mostly I was holding on for dear life. There were those moments where I felt incredible, though. The moment when the wind would simply hold the kite perfectly in the air and not violently thrash it about. This little moment was definitely something I remember, but the rest was all a bit frightful. I’ve often seen kites in the stores and thought about trying it again as an adult. Perhaps, it might be different now and a fun way to conquer that crazy wind. But, I’ve never quite tried it yet. It’s definitely on my list of things to do next.

Lately, I’ve been busier than I would like and find myself always trying to keep up with the day. In many ways, I feel a bit like a kite being thrashed about and trying to right itself in the oncoming gusts. But, I always know that even on the windiest of days, there will always be a calm after the storm. And no matter how busy my day may seem, it’s always possible to show up with a quick little watercolor. Sure, it may be quick and unassuming, but it’s a little something I made that day. And that always makes me very happy. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life it’s that you have to always take a bit of time to do the things you love most. It’s never a choice, it’s something that simply has to happen. So, yes, I must rush off and finish the other things are still demanding my time, but had to pop in to post my little entry for the day. It’s always possible to show up and make some art, even on the days when it feels like you’re just blowing in the wind.

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About the Doodlewash Da Vinci Paint Co.: Benzimida Orange, Cobalt Tuquoise, and Cobalt Blue.  Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia 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!

Charlie O'Shields

Creator of Doodlewash®, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group™, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing daily watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world! If you’d like to be a guest artist on Doodlewash.com, contact me!