Written by We’ve reached the final day of World Watercolor Month and it’s been a thrilling journey indeed! More beautiful watercolors have been tagged and placed into the world in honor of the month than both of the previous two years of our celebration combined! Well more than 12,000 artists joined us this year, from all over the planet, to simply make a watercolor each day, or whenever possible, and share it with the world. That’s a truly beautiful thing indeed. And best of all, together, we helped spread the word about our charitable cause for the month, getting art supplies to kids who need them around the world via The Dreaming Zebra Foundation (once again, the WWM souvenir shop, where 100% of proceeds goes to the cause, will close and disappear in the morning. So, if you’d like something, get it now before its gone!) A heartfelt thanks to our Official Sponsors for making the month possible and our Artists Ambassadors for their incredible generosity and support. And the final prompt of “celebration of color,” couldn’t be more fitting for a month like this one. You could have painted anything at all for this prompt, as it’s the very embodiment of what we’ve celebrated all month long. Beyond the paint, World Watercolor Month is also a celebration of diversity and a chance for people of all different cultures and approaches to watercolor to come together for a single wonderful cause. Thank you for joining me in the world’s largest global celebration of watercolor of the year!
And I hope you’ll keep making art with me as we move into the August Art Challenge. For this one, it’s back to a normal Doodlewash challenge, that’s open to pencil drawings and pen and ink as well wonderful watercolor… doodles and/or the wash! (World Watercolor Group on Facebook and the associated hashtag is still for watercolor only, of course, so join us here in Doodlewash Club to post your drawings). Drawing is foundational to making art, so I hope you’ll take the time to focus on and build those skills as well. This also allows people to share preliminary sketches for their paintings, if yours is produced more slowly and not in a madcap daily doodlewashing style, like I do. If that’s not your thing, then DO your thing. In all of this, I simply hope to inspire you to show up and create. Anything at all, really. There aren’t really any rules here on Doodlewash, other than that watercolors or gouache are currently the only painting mediums we share. Beyond that, it’s entirely up to you how you choose to paint, sketch, or draw, and what methods you want to employ. Just have fun and enjoy the journey!
When I first started painting, I was ecstatic and overwhelmed with joy at what I had discovered. Now, over three years later, still painting daily, I’m just as ecstatic as I was when I first began! But, in truth, it’s all because of you. You, dear reader and community member. You’ve made my journey feel like it truly matters. That my splashes of paint and often ridiculous rambles are something wonderful. And this inspires me to believe that this effect is really not unique to me at all, but something true for all of us. When we create art with our heart and all of the passion we can muster, and share it for the whole world to see, it’s guaranteed that someone, somewhere on this crazy planet will say, “thank you, that’s just what I needed to see today.” And this is worth showing up for each and every day. Please don’t ever stop creating, even on the days when it seems nearly impossible to do so. Your heart will always thank you, and someone out there will thank you as well. And this, in the end, is why I founded World Watercolor Month. I hope you’ve discovered just how many smiles you can create, when you do nothing more than show up each day to make art, and share your own personal celebration of color.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Indigo, Vermilion M. Graham Watercolors: Indian Yellow, Pyrrol Red, Manganese 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! |
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Your painting is perfect for today, and I’m so glad I was able to keep up with the prompts this month. It’s great to feel as though I’m part of something bigger and that my artistic voice is greater for being shared. And speaking of voices – now that you are narrating Sketching Stuff, I find myself reading your rambles in your voice!
Thanks, Sandra! 😃💕So happy you enjoyed the month. Yeah, the prompts are always totally optional, but I like them! It’s so fun to see what everyone chooses! And that’s so funny on the podcast. I was told the same thing on Instagram. Hope it’s not too disconcerting. lol
You have a very pleasant voice, so it only adds to the enjoyment!
You’re so sweet! That made me blush!😊Thank you!
The entire month has been a celebration of color! Thanks for creating and hosting World Watercolor Month and Doodlewash, Charlie.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕Yeah, July is a whirlwind of activity and color! So overwhelming at times and always so awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
The rambles are as good as the art. And you always make me smile! (K)
Thanks so much, Kerfe! 😃💕 I adore that compliment. My entire hope on this journey was to finally become a writer/illustrator of some sort. So I’ve sort of done that! 😉
Yes you have.
I agree with memadtwo above “therambles are as good as the art!”
Aww thanks so much, Judy! 😃💕 I’m hoping folks enjoy my new podcast with those rambles just as much! hehe
I’m so glad the month is growing! Good for you and especially for the kids who get more art because of your great idea!
Thanks, Lisa! 😃💕 Yeah, it’s always toughest to get the charitable aspect across, but we raised more this year than ever, so that’s awesome!
Awesome month Charlie, I am so happy to take part again. It was #WorldWatercolorMonth that got me painting every day and so a huge thank you for that. 🤗
Aww I love hearing that!! Yay!! I hoped it would provide inspiration like that! 😃💕
This has been such a fun month! Thank you for creating World Watercolor Month and of course…Doodlewash!! 🙂
Thank you so much, Sheila! 😃💕 I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the month and are enjoying Doodlewash!!
I love your choice of the prompt. I did almost the same on day 24 only all in blues for a “Moonochromatic Mood!” Mine is just a little too tidy. Lol
Thanks, June! 😃💕 I honestly wasn’t sure what to do at first and then was like… duh… it’s the last day so why not just a brush and palette to celebrate! Yeah, I did only blues for that prompt… hehe…. not technically monochromatic, but me and rules never have gotten along well.
Thank you Charlie! I thoroughly enjoyed participating in #WorldWatercolorMonth. An inspired adventure!
Aww yay! I’m so thrilled to hear that, Nita! 😃💕 Hope you’ll keep right on painting with us for the August challenge! 😉
Always enjoy your stories and your art, Charlie! 🎨💕
Thank you for creating World Watercolor Month and helping me to paint more in watercolors…I really enjoyed it this year! 😊
YOU are such an inspiration!! 🙌
Thanks so much, Jill! 😃💕 And yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! It’s gotten so busy I nearly have to run around in the background and never get to comment anymore. But I loved seeing what you made scroll by! (Watermelon Birds? Uhm…. yes please!!!)
Yes, I can only imagine how busy you are my friend! 😃 So glad you enjoyed my watermelon birds! hehe 🍉🐦
Things are calming down a bit, so I hope to make it back soon! Please know you always make me smile with your posts my friend! 😃💕
Charlie, I like the way you encourage everyone to create their own style of art, building strength from practice.
Thanks, Sharon! 😃💕 Yeah, I really think that’s the best way to discover your own passion for art. And always giving yourself permission to just be yourself, even if it’s not what the group is doing at the moment. 😉
Yeah! I did it! The painting part was the easiest. 🙂 It was the having to post every day that was stressful. My fear of putting my stuff out there everyday. Yes some days my work was just eh, but some days I was proud. Thank you for giving me that push off the diving board. I now will post my work that I am proud of and learn from my work that is just eh.
I agree with LoriCtoo….the posting was the hardest part! Darn those computers.
Yes!! Posting and getting the courage to do so… yep… WAY harder than watercolor. That’s why I always encourage it! If you can get past that, painting is the easy part! 😉
Yay!! Congrats!! 😃💕 Yeah… putting yourself out there is tough at first, but it’s fun to know when others smile when they see your work! So post what makes you proud… or seriously… just post all of it! hehe… we’re our own worst critic. Others can also let you know when you “eh” is really “yay”! 😉
Thanks for the wise words of wisdom!
Charlie: thank you for the July watercolor challenge. Somehow I found your website, and although I am fairly new to watercolor, I took the challenge and somehow managed to post for all of the prompts. It certainly was a challenge, but I made it. And it gave me the courage to post my paintings for the world to see instead of hiding them in a folder. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
That’s so awesome, Pat!! Yay!! Thrilled you completed the challenge! 😃💕 And even more thrilled you found the courage to share. Now you know it’s not that tough and actually kind of fun! 😉 Hope you’ll join us for the August Art Challenge (https://dwsh.co/August2018) and keep right on painting!!
It’s ok. Rules are meant to be broken!!🙃🙃🙃
Yay to that, June! 😃💕
Love this doodlewash! So amazing to see everyone participating in World Watercolor Month from all around the world — and to be a part of it all! It just makes my heart happy!
Aww that makes my heart so happy to hear you say that, Lisa! 😃💕 Thank you! Yeah it was another incredible year. It’s amazing how wonderful the world can get when we all choose to paint together!