Iris Purple Flower Watercolor Painting
By Charlie

First Sign Of Spring

Written by Charlie O'Shields

For our prompt of “Iris” today, I made this little sketch of one. It was still quite cold here today, but the sun came to visit again for just a little bit which was lovely. It will be a few more days before flowers will begin to appear, so it was nice to pause and paint one. Philippe and I are staying home these days, like so many people, and so we’ve spent most of it watching classic movies. In particular, we’ve been watching Disney movies from the 70’s. Earlier today, we’d just finished watching Bedknobs and Broomsticks with Angela Landsbury. Then, in the weirdest coincidence ever, Philippe got a text from his mother in Paris that she’d just watched the exact same movie! So, even if we couldn’t all watch it together, it was still like we were sharing a moment virtually. Indeed, in these times, sharing online moments has become the status quo. But even virtual moments can create a lot of joy!

Indeed, these are very unique and trying times. Our city just issued a stay-at-home order starting this week and lasting for an entire month. Philippe and I can easily work from home, so we’d already decided to do so before the order was revealed. The only word I can find to describe everything is simply surreal. It’s a strange sort of world that we’ve all been thrust into, but I’m still quite confident that with aggressive measures like these, we’ll all get through it! So I welcome them. And, watching movies from childhood really cheered me up! We also watched the original Pete’s Dragon again as it’s just a sweet story, and well, there’s a cartoon dragon and songs, so who wouldn’t love that? I was just a little kid in the 70’s but still remember hearing the song “Candle On The Water” playing over and over again everywhere I went. It was the same year as the song “You Light Up My Life” appeared as well. Looking back, I can hardly remember any other songs playing while these two songs were popular.

And, since both songs are about love and hope, they seemed like the perfect tunes to remember right now. Philippe and I ordered some groceries for pickup from the only place we could find that would do so. We got only a fraction of the items we requested as it seems pasta, flour, and bread are already scarce here. This will no doubt last for several days before people have hoarded enough that they can’t possibly fit anything more into their refrigerators and pantries. Weirdly, this could prove to be the best diet ever, since the only thing we can’t seem to find are carbs. Yet, we can still walk outside and enjoy the flowers that will be appearing soon. And, we can still connect online with everyone we love. And I’m sending much love your way, dear reader, and wishing you happiness and health in the days ahead. Our continued vigilance and spirit of community will help us get through this and prove to be the most beautiful first sign of spring!

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Da Vinci Paint Co.: Hansa Yellow Medium, Opus (Vivid Pink), Leaf Green, and Indigo. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen (Broad Nib) 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!
 Iris Purple Flower Watercolor Painting

 

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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40 thoughts on “First Sign Of Spring”

  3. Beautiful iris Charlie! Another quiet day here. I am working on acrylic abstracts for an online creativity class so the day was spent applying paint, creating textures, sanding parts off and repeating the process. I started these two wood panels on Tuesday. Odd to paint without an end in mind. It will all make sense in several weeks and my art should be stronger. Right now it is kind of just more chaos. On a pleasant note we just got to face time with the grand children and the youngest daughter. Good to see them. Stay safe Charlie!

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  4. How funny that your family on both sides of the big water were watching the same movie! They say there is no such thing as coincidence, so it must have meaning! Bookworm that I am, I’ve been reading rather than watching TV. I reread my favorite Lassie Come Home and Black Beauty and Pinocchio and am about to start Dr Doolitte (having been much disappointed in the latest movie.

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  5. What a gorgeous iris! Love the colour! Thanks for the words of hope, Charlie. A complete lockdown in Dhaka seems impossible although the streets have become quite empty and the supermarket shelves have started to become empty as well. However, my work as a freelance content writer is going on at the same pace. With my husband having to go to work twice a week from this week, it feels a little weird (in a nice way!) to have him around the whole day. Praying for better times.

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  8. Makes me glad I but 25# bags of rice. I made a potato and cauliflower curry with basmati rice yesterday with leftovers today. It was excellent and there is leftover rice to serve tomorrow with whatever veg I decide to chop up and stir fry. Hubs was going to stop at the store today for a few things, but he said it was too crowded to bother. And this is just a tiny small town Piggly Wiggly.

    I’ve got some tiny crocus blooming! And one snowdrop. I’m hoping for more.

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  13. Such a beautiful iris! I do love iris’s, but they are rather a menace in the flower beds. They like to take over if you don’t stay on top of them…..which I failed to do. So I ripped mine out and passed them onto a better gardener. I have one left that I missed and it hasn’t produced a flower in years.(Probably mad at me because I sent his relatives away.) For some reason, I’ve kept it, in hopes some day it will bloom again. Go figure. I expect they will be putting Portland in lockdown tomorrow because people weren’t listening and were out in droves in the Gorge. “We aren’t worried, we are outside.” Idiots. The trails up there are maybe 3ft wide, get hundreds of people up there and you definitely aren’t social distanting. I think they were holding off on doing it because we have had a beautiful week of weather and the rain returns tomorrow. We have a lot of implants here and they don’t like the rain(why they moved here always puzzles me) so they will all be inside. Okay, off my soapbox and off to paint my Strawberry Shortcake for “strawberry prompt”. 😉

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    1. Thanks so much, Lori! 😃💕Yeah, I think the only way to get Americans to stop doing something is to enforce it. Suggestions are never very effective. Hopefully, we’ll move past the “suggestion” mode quickly so we can squash this!

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  17. Lovely Charlie–the curves are enviable! My 2nd favorite flower next to peonies.

    And I appreciated your insight with the potter’s pink paint. I had W&N and the DS version is a bit more brown, but granulates SO beautifully! I’m always thankful for the information you impart to all of us at DW. You’re a rare gem to respond quickly and personally, and that too is such a gift in your very busy life, and the cabin fever lives we are all enduring.

    ALERT: Birgit O’Connor is offering a complimentary half sheet rhododendron tutorial, along with a downloadable six page line drawing. I’m uncertain if it’s available to everyone, or prior/current students. Her recorded four-part tutorial that accompanies the flower is extensive and generous. I just d/l the line drawing, so it’s a cut and paste bold lined sketch.

    Thanks again, Charlie, for everything you do to keep us connected to the beautiful world of watercolor: the one thing that connects us all, keeps us “plugged in” to that which speaks through our respective hands and brushes.

    Best of health to you and Phillipe.

    Fanna Turano

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    1. Thanks so much, Fanna! 😃💕Aww you’re too sweet! I’m SO happy to answer questions and provide any insight I can always! And yay to Birgit’s course… I think this is a perfect time to sign up for courses and learn new things! Wonderful and productive distraction during these times. Best of health to you and yours my friend!

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