Charlie O'Shields

For our prompt of “Blueberries” today, I opted for a few on a bush with a blue jay to keep them company. I adore eating blueberries, so I almost opted for muffins or a pie, but painting too many sweet things can become a bit tortuous when I don’t have those treats heading my way anytime soon. I actually only […]

For our prompt of “Desserts” today, I was craving a bit of cake. While Philippe and I were out shopping, we saw a rum cake made by a local bakery that we had once at a restaurant and loved. So I insisted we simply must buy it at once! As we were heading toward the cash register to check out, […]

Today, our prompt was “Something Red” in honor of the start of the Chinese New Year, though it could, of course, apply to anything red at all. I love the lanterns that appear this time of year, and love even more that they symbolize a wish for a bright future. Also, according to the Chinese zodiac, it’s the year of […]

For our prompt of “Flamingo” today, I decided to do a quick little sketch in three colors of one admiring its own shadow. As a kid, I was always really fascinated by shadows. I found a book at the library once on how to make shadow puppets with your hands. I still remember feeling like a magician as I clasped […]

For our prompt of “Oranges” today, I opted for a few still in the tree being admired by a Baltimore oriole. I’d seen an article that said the Baltimore oriole is particularly attracted to ripe oranges, hence the combo. Though, one would peel or cut them in half first, of course, for a backyard bird feeder. I don’t have a […]

My name is Carolyn Breen Morton, but I have gone by the nickname “Charlie” since about 4 years of age. I am 62 and a retired teacher from Barrie, Ontario, Canada.  Art has always been part of my life, but like many artists, I felt at times that I lacked talent and imagination. My husband’s advice, “Draw every day and […]

For our prompt of “Galaxy” today, my mind wandered a bit as I thought about wishing on a star. Since I don’t sketch people, I added a little dog to make the wish. This is only the second time I’ve tried painting a sky like this one, so it was fun to experiment. I also just realized that I sketched […]

For our prompt of “Fish” today, I opted for a couple koi and painted them using lots of different colors. There’s a large koi pond at our local zoo and it’s mesmerizing and relaxing to watch these fish swim around. I have to push myself to move along and not spend the day there. Also, koi fish are said to […]

For our prompt of “Lemons” today, I was running short on time so a lemon juicer came to mind. I’d love to say my lack of time was from doing many productive things today, but that would be a total fib. In truth, I had the day off work and just relaxed all day and did whatever little fun things […]

For our prompt of “Butterflies” today, I ended up with three of them because I couldn’t decide which color to choose. There are so many varieties and I find them all so lovely and intriguing. Of course, it’s not remotely butterfly weather where I live. Today it was so cold that being outside for any length of time at all […]

For our prompt of “Bluebird” today, I decided to sketch one with some magnolia blossoms. I’ve always loved these birds. As a kid, I was thoroughly fascinated by them, because they are the state bird in Missouri, which is where I’ve lived my whole life. And seeing one is said to be a sign that joy and happiness are heading […]

For our prompt of “Bananas” today, we have just that! I didn’t have time to add a monkey, and actually monkeys in the wild don’t eat bananas. This is something that was only introduced by humans. I remember an article a few years ago where nutritionists at a zoo in Devon, England banned monkeys from eating bananas. It’s considered the […]