Loving Spring

For our prompt of “Cactus” today, I made a quick little sketch of a cat next to a potted cactus in bloom. The weather here has finally started to warm up a bit in the afternoons and I’m already seeing the budding signs that spring is finally on its way. While I adore spring, the reality is that it’s really only about two to three full weeks of perfect weather here. The rest of the season is filled with thunderstorms and tornado warnings. But, even those blissfully few perfect days make my heart sing in a way that really energizes me. The daylight lasts a bit longer now and that makes me happy and excited to create as well. It’s like crawling out of a cold cave after months of hibernation. And, while the days aren’t super warm yet, the contrast makes them feel warmer than they actually are in reality. The evenings are still quite cool, which reminds me of being in the desert, so sketching a cactus today felt just like the perfect thing to do. Though, unlike this kitty, I won’t be tempted to rub up against one any time soon!

As often seems to happen around springtime, I’ve created something brand new to share! My newest book, which I’ll be mentioning in my session during the upcoming Sketchbook Revival workshop, just popped up on Amazon. This one is called Sketching Stuff: Create Like A Kid Again! and it’s a creative activity book for grown-ups (young adults and adults), with a decidedly childlike twist. I loved getting magazines when I was a little kid because they were always filled with lots of color illustrations, fun facts and cool things to DO! And so, I lovingly created this next book in that same fashion to hearken back to all of the nostalgic fun of childhood. It’s filled with over 60 creative exercises that you can do in your sketchbook, using whatever medium or approach you choose.

It’s designed to work for writers, artists, and any human who wants to write, doodle and create more inventive ideas for fun or for any profession. The exercises will also help boost your natural creativity and master what I call the 6 creative superpowers! And, it’s illustrated using over 120 full-color illustrations that I’ve made here over the years. If you’ve been a fan of my art, then this book is filled with the most printed versions of it to date. But wait, there’s more! (I’ve always wanted to say that) It’s also packed with tons of insights as well as bits of neuroscience and psychology on how our creative brains and hearts function, think, and feel. So, I truly hope you’ll click here and check it out!

As for this time of year, Philippe and I have once again talked about putting potted plants out, but we’ll see if that actually happens. He was looking through a magazine the other night and said, “hey, do you want to color Easter eggs this year?” I immediately said yes and got super excited, but then realized he was merely being facetious. In truth, I’m not quite sure what just two people would do with a dozen multi-colored boiled eggs after playtime was over, so it’s probably for the best. And since the actual date of Easter is a moving target, we generally only remember it’s actually here on the weekend that it suddenly arrives. Last year, he did make a delicious carrot cake, though, so I have high hopes of a sweet treat in my future. No matter what, I’m just thrilled and excited to sketch stuff and dream up new things in the days ahead. Though the latest headlines can often seem depressing, there’s nothing that can stop my spirit of hope and wonder as I start a brand new season of loving spring.

Click Here to Check Out My Sketching Stuff Books!

About the Doodlewash Da Vinci Paint Co.:  Hansa Yellow Medium, Opus (Vivid Pink), Vermilion, Terra Cotta, Leaf Green, Cobalt Turquoise, and Ultramarine (Green Shade). ZIG Cartoonist Mangaka Pen with black 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!

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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