Written by Though warm and sunny days are on the way as spring finally arrives here, it’s sure to be balanced with a lot of rainy ones, our prompt for today. I figured a pink and blue umbrella was a good contrast to the gray of a rainy day. I actually rather enjoy days like this as it’s a good excuse to stay inside and read a book or get something done that’s been waiting until just this very moment. Where I live, here in the middle of America, rain likes to come and hang out for several days in a row. It’s like a houseguest you enjoyed at first, but rather assumed they’d be leaving far sooner than they actually did. Though your heart is still filled with joy and love, your mind is saying, “Go away, already!” This is my relationship with rainy days, as I also adore a wonderful dose of sunlight. But bright colors on a rainy days can seem more saturated and beautiful so there’s something to be said for that. As with most things in life, striking a perfect balance is often impossible, but still the dream. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy both my rainy and sunny days as they come.
Today was actually sunny, but still cooler than I would have hoped for considering its actually now spring. Still, as I type this, the sun is heading into that lovely glow that photographers call the “golden hour.” Wedding photographers across the country are no doubt active during this time, capturing happy couples in this, the most perfect light of the day. As we switch seasons here, I’m mostly excited for the longer days ahead. It’s wonderful to still be sitting outside nearing 9pm as the sun only then decides to finally set. During the winter months, I wake up in the dark and return home and it’s dark again. It’s like living in a cave. I think that’s why I get so excited for spring. It just feels like there are more hours in the day. There aren’t actually, but with a little extra sun to guide me, I feel like I have just a bit more time. Or, at the very least, I’m not ready to go to bed at eight because it’s already been dark for 3 hours. It’s nice to not feel so rushed and hurried to get everything done.
It’s all just a trick of the light, of course. There are and will always be 24 hours in every day. But, when we feel a bit more energized to do more with those hours it’s always a good thing. Or a sign that we have too much time on our hands. I, for instance, got a little crazy today and added a proper little beach collection to my own little shop here on Doodlewash, complete with flip-flops. A sure sign that I’m not precious about my art, but feel it should be there to add a little happy to the world. Whether you want to hang in on the wall, carry it around, or step on it, as long as it makes you smile, I feel like I’ve done a good thing! And just a quick note about good things… a portion of every single thing purchased on this site goes to The Dreaming Zebra Foundation to help underprivileged kids get art supplies and create our future artists. This is a cause I’m super passionate about and, yes, the very centerpiece of our World Watercolor Month in July! Thanks to all of you who support this site, our community, and helping future artists grow and thrive. I know I dream bigger than I probably should, but together, I truly feel like we can make a real difference, even on the rainiest of days.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Cobalt Turquoise, Opus (Vivid Pink), and Payne’s Gray. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen 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! |
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You’ve captured that lovely rainbow of color that occurs when light shines in the rain. It’s what makes the otherwise dull gray bearable. Sometimes, we get months of gloomy, grey rainy weather and that in the Spring and Summer. Good thing when that happens, I have Doodlewash to turn to!
Thanks so much, Sandra! 😃💕Aww… so happy you’re enjoying Doodlewash! I hope it there to always add a bit of happy to any gray day!
You are the master of shadow and reflection! The colorful umbrellas make me smile.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕Yeah, I think an umbrella should always be colorful to contrast though gray days!
Your umbrella is great! I can so relate to leaving home in the dark and returning from work in the dark when I was working four ten hour shifts. When they did away with those shifts I opted for earliest possible shift. I always leave home in the dark but I get off at 2:30 p.m. so I can see and enjoy the sunlight! I had really missed it!
Thanks, Delores! 😃💕Yay to getting back home when the light is still shining! Wow… 10 hour shifts sound like a lot. hehe… I’m not sure I’d have the attention span. 😊
You are extra worn out but then when you have a three day weekend every weekend, it suddenly becomes worth it! I miss those three day weekends!
Yeah, I think I could totally rock a three day weekend every week! hehe… I would get so much more painting done! 😃
Those are definitely rainy day colours. Nice juxtaposition there with that pink. I love your description of rain as the house guest who stays too long – that’s exactly it! I love rain; heavy downpours are kinda exciting and being out in it is fun, but when it’s constant the novelty does begin to wear off.
Thanks so much, Jacob! 😃💕Yeah… too much of a good thing right? hehe… I do love a rainy day, but when it just hangs around… I want it gone!! My zonkey needs sunlight!!
Still have thunder, lightening and down pours here in California. Just got my chickens fed in time. Stayed on the porch for a few minutes, enjoying, thunder, down pours etc… In my safe zone. Well back to painting. 🤗
Aww… that actually sounds like a wonderful and restful scene that you just painted with words! Love that Nancy! 😃💕
Awesomely vivid colors, Charlie! Love it! 🙂
Thanks so much, Sarah! 😃💕
I love rain I am nearly 60 years old in a wheelchair because my legs don’t do their job instead of holding me up they drop me. That said I still love the rain especially on a tin roof in Australia and dream of jumping in puddles. Can someone tell me when I should grow up please? I have more in common with my grandchildren who see everything with a look of wonder than adults.
I love your composition and I love that you have added colour and the beauty of the work.
Thanks so much, Laurain! 😃💕 And I’ll happily tell you when you should grow up… NEVER! hehe There’s seriously no good reason to ever lose that childlike sensibility. It’s where all the happy in life can be found!
Sorry Charlie I didn’t see I had a message.
You are absolutely right age is a figment of imagination. I just finished a composition today based on
“turning back time” I used a modelling cream to emboss through a stencil a set of clocks but I put them the wrong way round to symbolise looking back, then coloured them lightly in rose coloured paint to represent rose coloured glasses!. I also painted a town house with a clock under the eaves. I did a tall narrow town house old style, then tore it to add to the bottom rhs of my composition. Because it was so bright I used gesso to cover the house but left enough to show through then very cheekily drew a picture of me when I was a 21 now how egotistic is that? Lol
You are so right no need to grow up my grand children love coming over. I still play hopscotch in my wheelchair, I throw and they push me, so easy for me.. My four year old Josephine calls it my chariot and on nanna and pa days it gets decorated too, plus poor old gramps if he falls asleep can wake up with paint or make up on then gets a real fright when he goes to the bathroom!
We also all have a big art day from 3 years to 11 years where they have a free for all. I let the youngest two go in the shower in their bathers and they can stand on my bench (in the shower) paint the screen, the screen door, themselves anything they want (it’s all water paint and non toxic) and I get the fun part of hosing them down after. The older two are honestly amazing Ruby swiped my new art journal and some Neo crayons but hey I would sooner they did that than get in to mischief. So I’m trying not to bother you too much but for me it is exciting that even my young ones love it. We painted fabric. Each got there own fabric and they could freestyle paint or use stencils or stamps or all three and at the end of the week end they had all made a round skirt that flew around them when they spun round.
So I will never grow old having too much fun with the tribe and just chomping at the bit for the new baby to grow up and join in – might have to wait awhile because bub is only 4 weeks old!
Sorry I just wrote you a novel, I will try to be less wordy in future.
Thank you for your kindness I don’t get out or meet people much so I do tend to “talk” in case you never noticed lol.
*(the older two Zianna and Ruby even cut out and machined their skirt themselves I taught them dressmaking at 5 years old and when gramps saw they were so good at it he bought them a sewing machine)
Aww that sounds awesome, Laurain!! So happy to know you will never grow up and that you have little teachers to help you along the way! That’s the perfect way to make art! 😃💕
Dear oh dear I did it again I forgot it was in a thread someone should ban me from writing sorry everyone
hehe! No worries at all! 🙂