Written by There was a time when painting flowers was something I was shy about sketching, but now I rather enjoy them. Mostly, because I realized that putting them in a vase is way more fun to paint since I adore painting glass. Also, when a flower is just sitting there on my usual white background it can look a bit sad and not very joyful. Since it’s the evening before spring here, it’s a perfect occasion to celebrate flowers. Soon, all of the blossoms will return and the brown grass of winter will start to glow green again. I adore this time of year for not only the beauty it brings, but the feeling inside that I always feel. It’s that feeling of a “fresh start” that New Year’s Day hopes to bring, but since it comes in the middle of winter here it doesn’t quite have the same impact. When the weather warms up and the sunlight lasts hours longer into the evening everything just feels inspiring and happy. I’ve been feverishly working on a new idea for a project that will launch next month, so I’m excited for the change in seasons to give me that final push I’ll need to get everything done on time. I’m sometimes not sure if I actually do everything at the last minute or just think of it at the last minute. Either way, I’m pretty much in this state most of the time, regardless of the season.
When Philippe picked me up from work tonight, the sun was out and while not incredibly warm, it wasn’t very cold at all. In case you’re wondering, we live and work in the city and only have one car. It’s the last Honda CRV they made back in the 90’s and we are planning on driving it until our feet bust out the bottom and we have to drive it like we’re on a Flintstones cartoon. This weekend we cleaned and reorganized the pantry area off the kitchen. It wasn’t a grand domestic effort that was properly thought about and preplanned, we were just looking for a bottle opener we thought we owned in the clutter of shopping bags and dish towels and it was buried somewhere underneath. It had the unintended effect of inspiring us to consider if we really needed that many dish towels and cloth napkins and we decided, no we did not. It was liberating and the pantry is now far more functional and has visible surfaces once more. In our spring cleaning enthusiasm we turned to look at the rest of the house listing of all of the things we should do next. The listing of those things made us exhausted, so we opted to leave the house entirely and run errands instead. Certainly, escaping the problem isn’t the best solution, but it was by far the most comforting one, so that’s what we chose to do.
I love moments like these because they’re organic and I find myself actually enjoying doing household chores. Though I make a list of prompts each month for drawing and painting, making any other list at all alludes me. Or, in truth, my prompt lists are a “ton of fun things you can choose to do this month” while those other lists seem to always be a “ton of things you wish you could avoid, but simply have to do this month.” I’m not completely dysfunctional, of course, and can plop little reminders on my calendar. It’s not a list that way, just a little thing to do before moving onto those organic fun things I didn’t plan. I so admire the people who can plan everything out in advance, but my little brain just doesn’t work that way. I just have to give myself a bit of a runway and then I race forward giggling all the way hoping everything works out in the end. Perhaps, I’m relying more on my Irish luck than I realized. But there’s a very powerful ingredient to my madness that manages to make everything work out. It’s simply joy. If something doesn’t make me happy, then I finish it quickly, or chuck it aside entirely, and pursue the things that DO! And so, I’m thrilled to continue my journey of following my heart and excited for what tomorrow brings on this eve of spring.
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This is a gorgeous work of art – and perfect as a clarion call to spring. Even at the core of winter, this Doodlewash hanging on the wall will remind you that all beauty will begin again.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕Yes, I’m just demanding spring at this point…hehe… if nothing else, it’s spring in my heart!
I do love the way you paint glass and your flowers are simply gorgeous! I do like making lists – though not usually of things to do. I make those and then totally ignore them.
Thanks, Sandra! 😃💕 hehe…. yeah, I DO make lists of things I enjoy, but never the tedious chore lists. Those depress me! lol
Beautiful flowers…Oh your home cleaning talk reminds me about my house cleaning…when Will I do it ???? I wish I could draw a magic wand and make it work also…😁😁😁
Thanks, Anita! 😃💕 hehe… if you figure out how to draw the magic cleaning wand, I demand you share it with the community! lol That would be SO awesome!!
Spectacular flowers and glass vase! Happy Spring!
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 Happy Spring to you as well… but it’s mostly spring there isn’t it? hehe
I love orchids. I used to grow quite a few until I got tired of them and changed over to amaryllis.
I have two words for you…Tidying Up! Marie Kondo Netflix show has changed lives. Mine a tiny bit, but I told a good friend to watch it, and show got a few truckloads of stuff cleaned out of her house. Which makes her sound like a hoarder, but in reality, she has a huge house and just kept stuff. I myself sent four bags of things to GoodWill. If hubs was at all interested, I’m sure we could get rid of a lot more stuff. But since he comes from a long line of sentimentalists, I think some stuff is here to stay.
Thanks, Lisa! 😃💕haha! Yes! I mentioned Marie Kondo in a previous post… it’s so simple and so true! Gotta love it! We got rid of a few bags, but are still working on the organizing bit… that part is the toughest! lol
Haha! The Flintstones show was fun! My lil son had a toy car with steering and pedals,which he used to drive with pride,until the pedals broke and we didnt try fixing it.So he used to drive it the Flintstone way!! The cleaning part,one more joke my son used on me many times when i would be looking for a ‘lost’ item under some or the other pile of junk to be cleared, ” Mom, just make the house upside down and shake it, you can find your stuff as it falls down!”
Hehe! Love that your son drove his little car like the Flintstones! Fun! And he’s a smart one… lol… I think we too could find everything we’re missing if we could just shake the house upside down! Too funny! 😃💕
You love painting glass? Well whew – another testament to your talent because you do it so well!
And the pink flowers (and glass) were so beautiful tonight (cheers to spring)
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And good for you with the pantry cleaning – and then also for deciding to run errands – I call that pacing the purging.
I recently got rid of 21 bags of books (snuck two of the books back in) but ignore is a process and I was ready and I did feel joy bringing certain bags certain places –
And I was done with the books
Lastly – good for you for driving that Honda so long laughing at the Flintstones reference – ha
Thanks so much! 😃💕 Yes… love painting glass.. it’s so fun! Yeah, it felt good to purge some things and there are still many more to go. But the Flintstones car, it’s here to stay! lol
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Charlie says, “there’s a very powerful ingredient to my madness that manages to make everything work out. It’s simply joy.”
It shows in everything you do, Charlie, and bounteously so in that magical painting. gorgeous!!
Thanks so much, Sarah! 😃💕Yeah, joy is the key to everything. With it you can make miracles happen. Without… don’t bother trying! hehe
Oh man, I missed my opportunity to try glass! However, I did sketch my all time favorite flowers….bleeding hearts. When I was young, my mom used to show me how to turn them into dancing fairies. A wonderful memory! I also don’t like making lists or sticking to them. Maybe too confining or the fact that if write it down I feel I have to do it. Lol However I did start a purging list earlier this year in my planner. That way I don’t see it every day and get anxiety over it, but when I am in the mood to purge something I can refer to it. It’s working! ;p
Aww wonderful! I love those flowers! 😃💕 And yay to your list that working! Those are the kind I can get into…. just making lists all the time makes me crazy, but when I figure out a way to list things that works for me, I’m in! hehe
I also love orchids. And your glass is always the best.
Somehow cleaning and sorting always becomes easy when you’re looking for something…even if you don’t find it in the end. I’ve got a lot in my own life to sort through, but I’m waiting for the push. Spring cleaning in the air…maybe that will do it! (K)
Thanks so much, Kerfe! 😃💕 Yeah, the “push” is always required here as well. We did actually find the thing, but if we hadn’t we would have be just as pleased!
Your flowers and vase is beyond lovely and I’d like a print please – it’s PINKKKKK and my favourite colour! lol You and my late David are a pair … he adored Spring with every ounce of his being. He was an avid gardener and instilled a love of flowers in me that is so deep I can’t help but want to paint them forever. You’re right about Spring’s supreme “fresh start” feeling too versus the New Year. As the trees bud and the flowers begin to appear, there’s a lovely happiness comes because the extreme dreary and cold status of Winter has finally left us. It’s my least favourite Season … all the more because my wheelchair is not an ATV. lol
Here’s to persuits of happy reorganisations, to-do lists and new ideas! 🎉 📝 🥂
Thanks so much, Von!! 😃💕 So thrilled you enjoyed this one! And yay to SPRING!! Such a joyous event and I’m sure I would have gotten along famously with David! I adore it! And so happy you like this doodlewash… if you would indeed like a print, I’ve made one available in my shop here – https://doodlewash.com/shop/charlie-shop/watercolor-prints-charlie-oshields/on-the-eve-of-spring/
Oh my stars, Charlie! How did I not know we could buy prints like that?!?! Yes, my order was just processed – thank you! How delighted I am to have a piece of your art. 💝 Thank You! 😍👏🏻😘
Thank you SO much, Von! 😃💕 Yeah, I added this last year, and well… you know me… maybe mentioned it only a couple of times before moving on to other things! I’m terrible at marketing myself! lol Yes, you can request any drawing and I’ll make it live as a print in my shop now! I only add what people request as I have no idea what anyone would like. 😊So thrilled you liked this one! Big hug! ❤️
Thank you Charlie! I’m so geeked. lol I got a copy of your book off of Amazon too. ❤️😍😘
Aww yay! hehe… Thank you SO much for the support, Von! 😃💕 I can’t thank you enough!
Love the flowers and vase. Both so very pretty. I drive a 2002 Honda Civic. My friends think I should get rid of it but like you….it still runs, and….no car payment. As far as spring cleaning goes…umm, something to think about for sure. My spring cleaning goes into summer. I have a lot to take care of.
Thanks, June! 😃💕 And yay! Not having a car payment is like a gift isn’t it? I don’t want to trade that in for anything! hehe And as for cleaning, our will definitely extend into the summer months. 😉
lovely, so transparent and ..lovely.
Thanks, Gaeyle! 😃💕 I adore painting glass! And actually love painting flowers now though I didn’t for the longest time, oddly. hehe