Written by Since vegetables are primarily all I eat, choosing a true favorite is nearly impossible. So, instead, I chose some peppers because I’ve been craving them lately and that must mean they’re currently at the top of the list for some unknown reason. Sure, they’re actually a fruit, but they’re a culinary vegetable, so that counts for this post. It’s true that peppers tend to appear more in the summer in our house. As it starts to get cooler in the fall and winter, our menu changes, and the pepper tends to lose its place as a raw snack or salad additive and turns back into a cooked ingredient. As a kid, all peppers were off-limits as I didn’t really like them all. Additionally, all hamburgers were ordered onion-free, so I guess I preferred my food pretty bland then. These days, I adore a lovely mix of ingredients, but in those days the plainer and simpler the better. But as vegetables go, the one thing peppers can boast about are all the colors they possess. I’m not sure nature is actually boastful, that’s probably just a human thing, but if it were, peppers would likely flaunt it a bit.
We’re actually heading out of town tomorrow, to visit a friend in southern California for a long weekend. It’s been months since we went anywhere for a break, so this is long overdue. I won’t, of course, be breaking from doodlewashing, since that’s all part of my fun and relaxation. To skip painting makes me sad and they’ll be no sadness on this trip! But just a heads up that my posts might appear at different times since we’re leaving with no plan whatsoever and taking each day as it comes. I literally have no idea what will happen while we’re there and that, to me, is always the perfect way to start any adventure! And best of all, I’ll be near an ocean and beach once again. Just three days into World Watercolor Month in July, I was already dreaming of a beach and painting a conch shell. Though Florida would probably be a better choice for that, I’ll still be on a beach, so all will be good.
As fun as it is to be someplace new, I don’t particularly enjoy the process of getting there as much as the experience of actually being there. If teleportation is ever invented in my lifetime I would be the first to sign up. Airports are stressful, and not very fun. I far prefer traveling by train in Europe. And since we’re traveling to an area between Los Angeles and San Diego, we can’t fly direct. Having to catch a connection just adds to the unfortunate drama, but once there, all is forgotten. I’ll be somewhere brand new, that I’ve never been before, so that’s a very exciting thing indeed. As much as I love a great new adventure, I’m equally a creature of routine. I like my simple little life that happens in all the usual beats each day. My excitement comes from finding out, along with you, what will appear in my sketchbook. In many ways, I’m traveling in my mind, each and every day. Creating a new memory on a blank page that will one day, when I view it, feel like going back in time. Nothing particularly amazing or profound. Just that one day, I suddenly craved peppers, and decided they were my favorite vegetable.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Hansa Yellow Light, Da Vinci Red, Cobalt Blue, Da Vinci Orange, Da Vinci Violet, and Leaf Green. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. |
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Sweet and spicy, Charlie! Have a great trip!
Thanks so much, Suz! 😃💕
Colorful and look very spicy! Enjoy your trip.
Thanks so much, Indira! 😃💕
Green beans for me, but your peppers are much better looking!
hehe… yeah I love green beans as well, but peppers are so much more colorful! 😃💕
Your peppers are gorgeous and inviting and these veggie/fruits are really good for your eyes. Supposedly orange are the best because of the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin. I take a supplement as well, but these little beauties show up on my plate all week long. And as I’ve gotten older, my near-sightedness has improved. Win-win.
You’re gonna be in my neck of the woods – Orange County? Lovely weather right now and I hope it holds up for your visit. Next time you come out our way, try to find a flight to John Wayne Airport, or even to Long Beach Airport. Easy to grab a shuttle from either of those to any place in OC – and much better landing-take off experience than LAX. Safe travels to you.
Thanks, Sharon! 😃💕 Just getting caught up on comments! I did actually fly in via John Wayne Airport. Our friend lives in Dana Point. The temps were awesome, but it was pretty cloudy the whole time we were there. hehe… no sunburn at least! lol
Great beaches where you’re going. I’m in L.A., but sounds like you’re going to Orange County. Have fun!
Thanks, Sharon! 😃💕 Yep… we were in the OC… it was a fun trip!
The beach! Enjoy! (K)
Thanks, Kerfe! 😃💕
I think my comment just disappeared…but the sentiment remains. Have a great time! (K)
Yeah, I had to rescue you from my Spam folder… UGH! That’s so weird… WordPress is really trying to keep us apart with these comments. Thanks my friend!!! 😃💕
They are still telling me there is no problem…even after I send them links to problems! Guess we just have to muddle through…
True… I’m hopeful that one day it will all be fixed.
Your hot – Hot – HOT Charlie. Love the composition and angle you went with! Great shadows that remind me that I need to practice shadows 🤣 Have an awesome mini vaca in California!! Safe travels and goodness to both of you. Tom
Why thank you Tom!! 😃💕 hehe… gotta love being called HOT! lol And it was a fabulous trip!! Thanks on the shadows… I’ve been trying to simplify them a bit as I tend to overwork them! 😊
LOL, I know, my friend. Busy, busy. I have no idea how any artist does it. I haven’t been on vacation since starting painting eight years ago so I haven’t had the “problem”. But oh what a problem to have! Glad you had such fun though.
great Peppers. Have fun on your vacay Charlie, we’ll expect a full sketchbook. ;o)
Thanks so much, Jennifer! 😃💕 hehe… I never have time on these short trips to just sit and sketch. Just have to steal a bit of time for my little doodlewash a day!
Peppers look great. My veggies need some practice with the shadows. You and Phillippe have a safe trip and enjoy the beach with your friends.
Thanks so much, June!! 😃💕 It was a great trip!
Wow I just love those bright colors Charlie! I wouldn’t be without peppers. I use them in a lot of my recipes, spaghetti sauce, stuffed peppers, goulash and sir fry to name just a few. I hope you have a great time in California. I’m in Florida and you definitely wouldn’t want to be here right now. Oh, it’s sunny and pretty looking from the inside out, but the temperature the last few weeks has been in the mid to high 90s and a heat index well over 100. Hopefully September will be a few degrees cooler. I hope the weather for you in California is just right, Thanks Charlie for all your paintings and stories.
XXOO
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 hehe… yeah, I definitely prefer the temperatures of Southern Cali. Wow.. that does sound hot in Florida. It’s often like that in Kansas City, but this summer has been really mild.
Peppers are always so bright and full of lovely colors. Have lots of fun on your little adventure. 🙂
Thanks so much, Sandra! 😃💕
Also fun to paint: artichokes. I have no idea how to *eat one*, mind you. But they’re fun to paint. 🙂
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