The Joy Of A Sweet Treat

Yeah, so if you’ve been reading these posts for any time at all, you could have guessed that my response to a prompt of “joy” would be either dessert or wine, or perhaps both. In the end, dessert won out, but in the defense of wine, I’m enjoying a glass as I type this, so everything is accounted for nicely. Of course, this wasn’t what came to mind first if I merely thought about joy. The first thing that came to mind was how much I appreciate all of you out there who read these little posts and how wonderful it’s been to connect with so many other artists around the globe and help them connect with each other. That’s what brings me real joy each and every day! But I didn’t know how to sketch all of that, so you get some ice cream instead. For those dieting, my sincere apologies and I invite you to avert your gaze at once or imagine this as a cucumber salad. If you’re in for this sort of sweet treat, then imagine it hundreds of times larger with several hundred spoons and let’s all dig in and enjoy!

I never imagined when I started my little art journey back in July 2015, that I would even still be doing it today. It felt like another one of my little whims that I start and struggle with and then skip away from off to something shiny and new. But each and every day for the past year and a half, I’ve happily sketched some little thing and made a little post. It struck me that my little watercolor break at the end of each day is a bit like dessert, with far less calories. It’s that perfect ending that makes me smile and fills my heart with joy. Even on the days when I think I completely botched it, I still enjoy the process of watching some little thing appear on paper. And when I share it with all of you, then it’s like saying, here, try my dessert! I hope you’ll like it too, but as long as I had fun doing it then then I’m not terribly disappointed if you don’t. Okay, a little, but chances are good I didn’t like it that much either. They’ll be another dessert the next day that you might really love.

It’s an interesting mental quest to think about what brings joy. So many things to choose from in life and yet I always come back to the usual suspects. The little things that surround me, memories I hold dear, and the people that make me smile. It’s what my art is all about and all I tend to ramble about just after my art has been splashed down on paper. I’m not really sure what kind of artist or writer this makes me, but I know that it makes me one who is full of happiness. At the end of each day, I may not always get to sample these dessert creations I often make, as many are from photos and a dream of what I’d like, but painting them makes me smile. That’s the thing about life and art. In order to make the people around you feel good about what you do, you first have to please yourself. Take a moment that’s just for you, block out the world and let something wonderful happen, while you bask in the joy of a sweet treat.

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About the Doodlewash Sennelier L’Aquarelle: Indian Yellow, Red Orange, Sennelier Red, Dioxazine Purple, Phthalocyanine Blue, Turquoise Green, and Payne’s Grey. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon black ink in an A6 Hahnemühle Watercolor Book.

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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