Written by When the day began today, I had just a small list of things to complete, but as the day progressed, things got busier and busier. After I finally made it home from work this evening, I’d not even looked at the prompt for today of “Tickled Pink” and wasn’t sure what to sketch. With just a few minutes to sketch whatever came to mind. As a phrase, it means to quite literally glow with pleasure. So much so that one’s skin and cheeks turn a rosy pink in color. Since, I sketch stuff and not people, I inexplicably opted for a blushing ice cream twist cone. If you’re curious how I landed here, it’s because Philippe and I saw a box of cake cones recently at Trader Joe’s and remarked how it always signals that summer is on its way. And ice cream in a cone is more than enough to thrill me and make my cheeks turn a happy pink. Though, in reality, I just like plain old vanilla best, just like I did when I was a kid. There used to be local ice cream shop that sold a flavor called “sweet cream” which didn’t even bother with adding vanilla and I liked that even better. Yeah, I would also have pretty much been happy with a big dollop of whipped cream as well. While I like to let my life take whatever crazy turn it wants, I like to keep my treats rather simple.
Indeed, I think that’s why after all of this time, I still just show up sketching stuff. A piece of life on a white background without a lot of other ingredients. In many ways, I answer these prompts with a visual prompt. It’s always my hope that you, dear reader, will fill in what’s missing here. That context I failed to show you. Instead of painting the scene I remember, I like to paint the stuff that made that memory happen. When I was a kid, the most amazing ice cream experience came during family gatherings when we’d each take turns cranking it to completion in a barrel. Even when the recipe was replicated and made alone at home it never quite tasted the same. This seems practically impossible, but I’ve always found that food enjoyed with family just tastes a bit better in that moment. It’s the moment itself that adds that ethereal and impossible to replicate flavor. I guess you could say, life just tastes a bit sweeter when you experience it with the ones you love.
This happens to Philippe and I all of time. We’ll be out at a restaurant and the wine we ordered tastes incredible so we take a photo of the label and find it later in the store. Sure, the first gasp-worthy moment is discovering it costs a quarter of what we paid for a bottle in the restaurant. The second, is that it doesn’t taste quite as amazing as we remembered it tasting. It was suddenly just a bit of wine and nothing more. For me, my sketching, coloring, and writing experience has always been grand. Even on days when I’m nearly too busy to sneak in a sketch and create something. The key ingredient in all of this has always been all of you out there. My quickest and silliest sketches are made more wonderful because you dropped by to enjoy them with me. You often share your own wonderful stories in the process, which completes my art. Adding the background and context this artist purposely omitted. I love hearing what you remember and the stories my own words and visuals evoke. Together, we’re making a complete piece of art. One that couldn’t possibly end up in a real gallery, but instead, this virtual one that lives on here each and every day. Thanks for being part of my art. Even more than ice cream, and that’s saying quite a lot, it truly makes me tickled pink.
Want To Sketch Stuff With Me? Check Out My New Activity Book!
About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Nickel Azo Yellow, Opus (Vivid Pink), Terra Cotta and Cobalt Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with black 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! |
 |
|
Its so smooth!!!
Thanks so much, Ujek! 😃💕
Soft serve! Nice Charlie.
Thanks so much, Karen! 😃💕Glad you liked this!
I have used the expression, “Tickled Pink” when I loved something that much. I believe there is room for more than two, to like this expression.
There’s room for everyone! 😃💕 I love this expression…. it’s all about pure joy!
To me, home-made ice cream means it’s the 4th of July. We always partied at my grandparents and the making of the home-made ice cream was always the last part of dinner and the signal that the fireworks would be starting soon. It’s funny. I don’t really remember the taste, instead I conjure the smell of sulphur, the whirring of fireworks and red, white and blue.
hehe! I love that image you painted with words, Sandra! 😃💕 Yeah, July 4th was a big day for ice cream in my youth. Though… I DO remember the taste… hehe… mostly because I was a bit scared of the bigger fireworks so I appreciated the distraction. 😊
No, no, no, it’s gotta be chocolate ice cream in a sugar cone! Though if anyone asks me what color I’d THAT in – THAT being just about everything from flowers to shoes to puppies – I answer PINK! Though I’ll take a puppy in any color – and I actually dislike strawberry ice cream because it tastes nothing like strawberries. So – summer + ice cream + pink cotton candy = lots of fun. Still, your pink and vanilla ice cream cone is pretty enchanting all on its own – YUM! (Good thing I’m too lazy to drive to the store just to buy ice cream.)
haha! Love that, Sharon! 😃💕 I too adore pink! It’s why my palette has 3 version of the primary colors and I swapped pink for my purple when it comes to my secondary colors. A drop of blue changes it back, really, so why not go pink! lol I think I liked strawberry things in my youth, like Strawberry Quik, simply because of the color now that you mention it. Imitation strawberry is a horrid flavor indeed!
I really like how you painted the cone. I recently had a cone of vanilla soft-serve ice cream (hadn’t had it for many years) and felt like a kid eating it. It really made me happy!
Thanks, Sharon! 😃💕And yay to feeling like a kid again… hehe… yeah… soft-serve ice cream cones always take me there. I think that’s why I love them so much!
Cute cone!!! One of many things I love about this blog/website/community…..it makes memories surface that I haven’t thought about for years. For instance when I was a kid (people rode around in horse & buggies bahahawa!) we use to travel to upper Michigan to my grandparents cabin. A few times during our stay we would all pile into my grandpas car, go to the local store where there sold vanilla hard ice cream. That’s it, just vanilla and it was the best ice cream because of the family fun. Thanks for the memories!
Thanks, Lori! 😃💕Aww I love that picture! Yeah, it’s the memories that mattered most… vanilla tastes exotic and awesome when you experience it with family! Best flavor ever!
That cone looks delicious!! We didn’t do ice cream a lot when I was a kid but my best ice cream memory was dad treating my sister and me to root beer floats at a Sears Roebuck lunch counter. It was a rare and very special occasion and a wonderful memory.
Thanks, Mary! 😃💕 Ohhhhh… root beer floats were the BEST! I adored them! And Sears… as well… another memory that’s not quite here in the same way anymore.
join my club. I know the feeling
Hehe! Thanks so much, Mireya! 😃💕 Glad you could relate to this!
Oh yum! When I was a kid, we’d take a walk down to the seaside, about 45 minutes walk. We’d play and have fun. Then we’d get a choice, either a bus ride home or an ice cream? We’d always walk, of course! Thanks for the memory Charlie.
Aww I adore your memory! 😃💕 That’s awesome! I would definitely choose the ice cream over the bus ride as well!
I missed this yesterday. But all I have to add is Dairy Queen. Vanilla cone dipped in chocolate. The cherry dip was prettier, but it tasted funny.
haha! Love that, Lisa! 😃💕SO true! The cherry dip was odd to be sure!