Day 31 - #WorldWatercolorGroup Champagne Toast Happy New Year! 2017
By Charlie

Champagne Toast – Happy New Year!

Written by Charlie O'Shields

Today marks the last day of the Winter Wonderland adventure and I hope all of you who’ve painted along with me have enjoyed participating! This is also the last day of 2016, so here’s a little 2-color doodlewash of champagne to toast the end of the year. Thanks so much to all of you fabulous people who follow Doodlewash and are members of our World Watercolor Group (with an extra special thanks to those who read my little ramblings and comment!). I really can’t thank you enough for all the encouragement throughout the year to keep on painting and writing daily! You are amazing and I love you much. And I hope many of you will join me for the January Adventure as we keep that inner child giggling happily with a month of painting our favorite childhood memories. As for my actual New Year’s festivities, we’re going to be going to the cinema this evening with friends and coming home to toast 2017 on New York time. Midnight is just way too late to stay up these days, and I’m sure it will arrive with or without our being awake to see it.

It’s been years since I’ve attended a large New Year’s Eve party, and since I’m rarely up so late, doing so even once a year is a true challenge. Honestly, if you’re not at a party, then there’s nobody else to toast and nobody there to see if you’ve nodded off before the clock strikes midnight. Back in those days, all I can remember is waking up rather late to greet the first daylight of the year feeling lethargic from too much snack food and nursing a rather annoying hangover. So these days, my memories are far happier and I’m content with our quiet little tradition. That wonderful feeling of new beginnings is still there, however, and I’ve made all the appropriate mental notes of the things I’m hoping to accomplish in the fresh new year ahead. I should have probably written some of them down, as I’m already forgetting most of them, but like most resolutions, I’m probably not actually going to accomplish them anyway.

But the fun part about setting goals for the New Year is the sheer joy of experiencing that tingling sense of possibility. Maybe I’ll create my first painting video! Maybe I’ll write a book this year! These are just some of the things that are rumbling through my brain at the moment and even if they don’t happen it feels good to commit to attempting them, at least. One thing is certain. I’ll still be pursuing my passions by making my little doodlewash each day, writing a tiny story, and doing all I can to promote the work of other artists. These are things I love doing most! So as we head into 2017, I hope all of you are excited to pursue your passions and just let them take you where they take you next. If we all just focus on doing that, then there’s no doubt in my mind that, together, we are going to have a very Happy New Year!

Join us for the January Doodlewash Adventure: Childhood Memories,
Click Here to Learn More!

About the Doodlewash

Sennelier L’Aquarelle: Quinacridone Gold and Payne’s Grey. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon with black ink in a little red cloth hardbound l’aquarelle journal I found in a Paris shop.
  Day 31 - #WorldWatercolorGroup Champagne Toast Happy New Year! 2017

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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39 thoughts on “Champagne Toast – Happy New Year!”

  2. Happy New Year to you. No snow here I’m afraid, it’s 28C and sunny in northern NZ. We hit 2017 twelve hours and 41 minutes ago.

    Cheers
    Chris

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  3. For me the count down to retirement begins. 2017 is the year when I hang up my teacher’s hat (although I think I will always be a teacher at heart) and put on my artist’s apron. Wishing you all the best in 2017.

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  7. What a wonderful and upbeat ending to this year and such a positive, hopeful blessing for next. You have a sweet way of seeing the world, often through Little Charlie’s memories but tinted with Adult Charlie’s insight. It’s always wonderful to open Doodlewash every day, see your painting, and read your boundless thoughts.

    My arm is getting healed, I have a big watercolor project planned, and maybe I’ll get the courage to show it off when it’s completed. You do inspire me to paint though I mostly consider myself a writer.

    A very Happy, Healthy New Year wished to you and Phillipe. See you in 2017.

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    1. Thanks SO much, Sharon for your amazing support and encouragement! I love seeing your comments pop up…. your writing is fantastic!! I’m here’s to the wonderful paintings you’ll be making in 2017! Yay! I don’t consider myself a painter or a writer… hehe… so I never have to worry if I’m doing either properly. 😉 I hope you have a phenomenal year ahead my friend! 😃💕

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  8. Clink! Cheers, Charlie! Thanks for all the fun last year – and look at what you achieved last year, blimey! – and here’s to lots more! Wishing you a very happy *new* year, live from the future. Have a good time catching up with us, whichever clock you observe – while I do stay up, I tend to go to bed on New Year’s earlier than I ever do normally (party animal) 😛

    I very much like the sound of January’s theme, not least because Birthday Cake falls on my actual birthday. Yay! I’m sure this is going to be heaps of fun to see us through the month!

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    1. Thanks so much, Jacob! 😃💕 Yes! It’s your birthday month!! So that’s definitely something worth celebrating. I was going to get you a zonkey, but they tell me that it won’t clear Customs. So you’ll be getting a doodlewashed cake instead! hehe Here’s to a fabulous 2017 my friend!! 😃💕

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  12. Lovely writing Charlie! Sending you Happy New Year Greetings from Shanghai! I dont make resolutions as such but I do look forward to following you and participating in another challenge! Your painting and writing are so lovely – you are a ray of sunshine! By the way, thanks again for the advice on traveling with art supplies! My watercolors traveled very well to Shanghai- in my carry on luggage with no problems at all! Wishing you every happiness in 2017!

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  16. I tremendously enjoy your paintings and writing, so I’m glad I found you in 2016. I look forward to more in 2017. Happy New Year! P.S. I also prefer celebrating New Year’s Eve quietly, and then seeing the sun come up, feeling good, feeling peaceful.

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  18. Dear Charlie, I don’t make resolutions, but every single time I read one of your posts it makes me happy because you shine a light on whatever you draw, and reading your thoughts makes it shine even more brightly. And a bit of that every day for the coming year is the best resolution I could ever think of! So a huge thank you – and a very very happy New Year.

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    1. What a heartwarming comment… thank you so much for that!! 😃💕 I’m so happy you like my “whatever comes to mind” approach. hehe… I always think I should plan more, but spontaneity if more fun in the end. I hope you have an amazing year ahead my friend!!

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  19. How did your festivities go, Charlie? Did you manage to stay awake? Well, it doesn’t matter — it’s in the past. 🙂 I join you in toasting the new year and “the sheer joy of experiencing that tingling sense of possibility” it brings. May 2017 shine very brightly indeed on you and Philippe.

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      1. I am impressed, Charlie. The last time I actually rang in the new year was in 2000 — and that was because I was at work, and we were all expecting the world to end, lol.

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