Day 30 - #WorldWatercolorGroup Getting Cold Feet Nordic Knit Mukluks watercolour watercolor slippers
By Charlie

Getting Cold Feet

Written by Charlie O'Shields

Today’s prompt is slippers, but the ones I actually own are a dark blue and nothing particularly special. When looking for more interesting slippers to sketch, I found these elaborately designed nordic knitted mukluk slippers, and initially got cold feet, so to speak, due to their complexity, and kept searching. Then I decided, what the heck? Why not tackle something ridiculously complex and see if some quick scribbles and a bit of loose watercolor can manage to make it look like the intended reference. The thing I love most about watercolor sketching is how even the most elaborate objects can be quickly “faked” in a way that makes them magically passable as the real thing. I won’t be picking up furry slippers like these any time soon, however, as in reality I rarely ever get actual cold feet and would sweat right through them. Which is just gross.

My body temperature always runs extremely warm and although this seems like a blessing in winter, I actually feel robbed of being able to properly enjoy winter slipper fashion. Beyond the normal, everyday slippers, you can get perfectly ridiculous ones that look like cute stuffed animals. You can step right into the belly of a little kitty cat or shove your foot right up the butt of a koala. Sure it’s super weird, but the idea of having a little plush friend with you at all times is kind of endearing. Rather than slip on my boring navy blue slippers, I could be enjoying the fabulous experience of stepping into a platypus! Sadly, due to my incovenient tendency to overheat, I’ve never had the pleasure of this doing this. Thinking about it now though, it seems like it might be hard to walk about with platypus feet. But, the point is, I’d love to have the opportunity to find out.

My mother bought me a pair of slipper socks for Christmas one year and I still wear them occasionally when it gets cold enough for me. This is that somber gift that lets you clearly know you’re no longer a child and it’s time to get sensible. I also love that if you’re still wearing slippers past lunchtime, you’re sending a firm message to the world that it can get by without you today. Of course, there are people who still hop in the car while wearing slippers. Once, in a Walmart, I saw an entire family shopping in their pajamas. This was disconcerting, to be sure, but I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. It was clearly a life or death decision between staying home, lazy and starving, or getting those Pizza Poppers. Ultimately, I guess I’ll just have to dream of what it might be like to wear cozy slippers and be a bit daring myself by sketching the most complex pair I can find. Sometimes, it’s great when you don’t have to be constrained by the silly bother of getting cold feet.

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About the Doodlewash

Sennelier L’Aquarelle: Opera Rose, Sennelier Red, Cobalt Turquoise, Ultramarine Deep, Burnt Sienna 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 30 - #WorldWatercolorGroup Getting Cold Feet Nordic Knit Mukluks watercolour watercolor slippers

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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31 thoughts on “Getting Cold Feet”

  1. Walmart brings them out, doesn’t it? What is it about that store that people figure anything goes? Doesn’t happen much where I live, but the pictures of Walmart shoppers elsewhere – my oh my. If they were wearing your shoes,
    we’d all think it was this side of closer to normal.

    So did you discover, as I think you did, that a quick swipe of gray wash along the edge of a shape creates shadow without any complex brush work at all? Fun, right? You got it all – the fuzzies, the pom poms, the bright knit patterns, and the foot shape of the sole. Yeah I’d wear those slippers even to Walmart! Good job, Charlie.

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  4. You always bring a smile on my face when I read your posts! Today too with the family in pj’s actually I came across several people shopping this season ln pj pants and sleepers, late night at Target now that they close at 11pm. In Italy we will never go out in pajama or sleepers it’s a rolling eyes lol! And now that I live here in US still I will never go around in pj unless is a pajama party between friends! LOL ;-D <3 But I love the sleepers you painted they looks like a ethnic pair of boots beautiful work. I will wear them with an appropriate outfit, the one I painted are quite similar style just more furry you should see what I painted, then we both can go shopping together in our sleepers :-)) <3

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  6. LMAO….absolutely love your reference to “faking it”….I do that all the time with my watercolor efforts…guess the medium brings that out….due to lack of much control. I don’t wear slippers either and never have. Growing up in Montana; it was more appropriate to sleep with your boots on. Not sure if that was because the winters were so cold (often -40 or more) or we were simply afraid someone would steal our boots (not unheard of). Happy New Year to you and yours and please continue to entertain us in 2017.

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