Starting With Dessert

Welcome to a brand new month and lovely new art challenge as we paint some happiness and hope in April! Join me for an entire month of sketching and painting wonderful things to remind us of all of the good in the world. I hope you’ll jump in and create some lovely pieces of art to share with all us living in quarantine. For our first prompt of “Chocolate,” I chose an ice cream sundae drizzled with chocolate sauce. In truth, I love chocolate, but when it comes to creamy desserts, I actually adore vanilla ice cream most. It’s the perfect base to add to all sorts of wonderful toppings and chocolate sauce is definitely at the top of the list! Many times when I’ve painted something like this, I’ve only included one spoon which now seems horribly selfish. So, this time, I included a second spoon in hopes that you’ll join me. Indeed, I doubt we can actually share desserts during this exceptional moment in history, but as you know, my desserts are often built in fantasy. So I’m sharing a virtual second spoon for all of my fabulous friends out there!

While I know we’re living in a time of self-isolation, I don’t think that means we have to become anti-social. So, it’s my sincere hope that you all follow and like everyone who’s participating in this months’ art challenge. Let’s all join together and share our beautiful creations with the world and provide a bit of happiness. These current times are certainly exceptional and I find myself often trying to figure it all out. The world is under a lot of stress today, and there are no easy answers to be found. But, one thing I know to always be true is that a bit of art therapy is an incredible thing indeed. When we make and share something we created by hand, amazing things can come from that action. It may seem strange, but your lovely post of something chocolate was just the thing someone needed to see in this very moment. By creating that lovely bit of art, you made a positive difference in the world. You made someone smile, or indeed crave something awesome. You made someone remember life as they love it most. That’s a beautiful gift, so I think we should all share it as much as possible.

It’s certainly a very different world that we’re all experiencing today. I have to admit that it’s equally rather difficult to write these daily posts. I usually tell stories that reflect on my childhood. Stories that are universal and don’t really have a specific time period. But we’re living in a very unique time period where everything seems to be about a certain thing. I’m hoping that everyone out there is staying healthy and safe during these times. And yes, I have to admit, I hope that if you find yourself in quarantine that you’re using that bit of extra time to make art. I think that’s the most important thing we can do today. Art has always provided the most honest view of life. It’s always been that lovely bit of our world that expresses itself naturally. This is, to me, the most awesome thing of all. Art isn’t just about sharing what we see, it’s equally about sharing what we feel. And, in this day and age, I can’t think of a better way to express our feelings. But, rather than starting with all of the gloom and doom in the world, I think it’s far better to simply share those most wonderfully simple moments, like starting with dessert.

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About the Doodlewash Da Vinci Paint Co.: Gold Ochre, Quinacridone Red, Terra Cotta 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!

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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