Written by Before I launch into my post today, I would be remiss not to mention the winner of the recent Doodlewash Giveaway. A big congrats to Catherine in Canada who won 2 blocks of Hahnemühle watercolor paper and 12 tubes of Grumbacher Finest Artists’ Watercolor! Thanks to everyone who entered, and if you didn’t win, no worries as there will be many awesome giveaways coming soon as we head into World Watercolor Month in just two weeks!! So stay tuned! Today’s prompt of salad was rather fitting as that’s what we’ve been having for dinner nearly every evening as the heat of summer creeps upon us here before the season even officially begins. I love salad, but usually not simply a bunch of lettuce piled on a plate. When I think of salad, I think of a wonderful variety of fresh ingredients and, if I’m lucky, some Greek feta or Italian mozzarella cheese. That little bit of a treat that tells me I haven’t quite had to give up all the little indulgences of winter. Everything in moderation, of course, but what would life be if we didn’t have something a touch decadent to enjoy?
Loving salad is a totally new experience for me. When I was young, I really didn’t have a taste for salad. Here in the Midwest, it was usually just a bunch of iceberg lettuce buried in Ranch dressing, often with a few carrot shavings for color, and possibly some croutons out of a bag. Tomatoes might be present as well, but only a couple of cherry ones and then only as a form of garnish. It was much later in life that I would discover the wonders of a salad full of a myriad of ingredients only gently dressed. This was a revelation to me. I’m not actually a big fan of the creamy white Ranch dressing, so to discover the tang and bite of a nice vinaigrette or perfect simplicity of a bit of olive oil was amazing. Those little leaves actually had a lovely taste on their own. And olives and feta are a match made in heaven. We recently found some feta at Trader Joe’s that’s imported from Greece and it’s incredible. The flavor is so much stronger than the crumbled feta I grew up with and I adore it.
As we head into the weekend, I’m excited to take a little bit of a rest. I’m a bit exhausted lately, but in that cool way when you’ve been doing everything you can to make awesome things happen. If you’re a blogger and reading this, please consider sharing something about World Watercolor Month in July. If you’re a watercolor instructor, please, by all means use the month to create something wonderful for your students. My only hope is that everyone who paints with watercolor uses the hashtag #WorldWatercolorMonth when they post in July. This helps send folks back to the source and hopefully many will consider donating art supplies to The Dreaming Zebra Foundation and help future artists grow and thrive. That’s the real spirit of the month and why I’m donating 100% of my own proceeds to the cause. It’s simply a month-long holiday for everyone who loves watercolor to celebrate in whatever way they choose. Whether you’re a studio painter, hobbyist, urban sketcher, plein painter, or crafter, this month is for you. Enjoy it with all the fresh ingredients you can think to include and have fun! It’s a beautiful mix of everything that watercolor can offer, blended together like the perfect summer salad.
Don’t Miss WORLD WATERCOLOR MONTH In July!
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About the DoodlewashM. Graham Watercolors: Azo Orange, Gamboge, Pyrrol Red, Permanent Green Pale, Dioxazine Purple, Ultramarine Blue, and Neutral Tint. Alvin Draft-Matic Mechanical Pencil in an A6 Hahnemühle Watercolor Book. |
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Nothing better than a fresh salad in summer Charlie especially now that temperature are getting hot! Love your painting! 😉
Thanks so much, Carolina! 😃💕 Yes! It’s soooo hot here lately. Salad is the perfect thing to eat!
I love salads – especially during summer when I’d rather be painting or creating art than cooking in a hot kitchen! 😊 I purchased a cookbook from Costco recently with all salad recipes. Maybe I will create and then paint them! 🎨👍 I really enjoyed World Watercolor Month last July! Cheers! 🎉
Yeah… a hot kitchen is no place to be in summer! hehe 😃💕 Oh wow… that book sounds awesome. Philippe make a bean salad that was incredible, but he never quite remembers what he puts in it. hehe And yay to World Watercolor Month! It’s coming back super soon!!
Lovely painting, Charlie.
How is everything?
Nice redesign of the site, by the way 🙂 <3
Thanks so much, Sarang! 😃💕 Doing great here! Hope you are as well. Yeah, the site is going through quite a change. So glad you like it!
OMG – I grew up in the midwest and I love your description of salad – especially those carrot shavings – eeeew!
haha! Thanks, Jessica! 😃💕 Yeah… that was pretty much a salad for us wasn’t it? So glad to discover the real thing when I got older! lol
Sure looks appetizing! Lovely painting.
Thanks so much, June!! 😃💕