Bunny Yellow Raincoat Umbrella Watercolor Illustration
By Charlie

When The Rain Stops

Written by Charlie O'Shields

Jumping in again for our prompt of “Raincoat” today, with a little doodlewash of a bunny wearing one. I love a rainy day, though sometimes where I live it turns into a nonstop week of rain. So, when the rain finally stops and the sun begins to shine again, it’s really quite a wonderful thing indeed. Sometimes, on those special occasions there’s even a rainbow, which makes the moment feel even more amazing. As a kid, anytime someone mentioned there’s a rainbow in the sky, I would always immediately rush outside hoping to spot it. I think I thought all of my dreams would come true if I could just catch a glimpse. Even today, I feel the same. And many of my dreams have come true, while others are still waiting on the horizon. I’ll have my first picture book coming out later this month and that makes me super happy as that was a lifelong dream of mine. But the best part about dreaming is that it’s always most amazing when you simply never stop!

I was hoping to show up on Easter, so if you celebrate that day I hope you had a very happy one! As for me, I ended up getting wildly inspired and finished writing the second book in my new series. It felt really good, and then I realized that this also means I’ll have to come up with 17 more page spreads of illustrations. But, I’m thrilled to keep right on going. And it was a truly lovely weekend. Philippe and Aesha had one of their video baking phone dates where they make a cake together. It’s like a cooking show is happening in the background and it’s really fun to watch! As for the result, it was the first time Philippe had made carrot cake and it was a stunning success. He cut the sugar by a factor of eight and so it was filled with flavors that I never knew were there before! It was so delicious! There was a bit left over that was unfrosted and I kept sneaking bites of it throughout the day. I think that it helped quite a lot with my creativity, or at least that’s the story I like to tell myself.

And, as some of you already know, April is my birthday month!! Yes, I celebrate the entire month. And this month I’m turning 50, which seems like a nice round milestone, but doesn’t feel differently beyond that. I don’t feel any older and in many ways I think my inner child just keeps coming out to play more and more. So, I may actually be getting younger! And though I still have lots of dreams I hope to make come true, I’m quite happy with what I’ve managed to DO along the way. Even when I don’t do things perfectly, I still always think it’s perfectly awesome to try! So, I’m going to just keep right on coming up with new ideas and seeing where it all leads me next. With the pandemic, this has been a very strange and often stressful year, but there’s so much hope and happiness that will be coming in the months ahead. Even with so many days that can seem a bit too gray, there’s always that chance for a glorious rainbow, when the rain stops.

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About the Doodlewash

Da Vinci Paint Co.:  Hansa Yellow Medium, Vermilion, Quinacridone Red, Opus (Vivid Pink), Terra Cotta, Phthalo Blue, Cobalt Turquoise, and Indigo. 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!
 Bunny Yellow Raincoat Umbrella Watercolor Illustration Sketchbook Detail

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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39 thoughts on “When The Rain Stops”

  1. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTH CHARLIE! We join you in celebrating a bunch of birthdays and anniversaries in April, and especially that book release! Congratulations! How exciting to hear you’re on to the next. The art will be the icing on your cake! The 50’s have been exciting, liberating, (a little vexing), and a lot if joy and gratitude. We’re definitely looking ahead with a bit of hope!🤗 Thanks for this place to enjoy our art and community together!

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  2. Happy Birthday month Charlie! And, I have fantastic news for you. Your inner child will come out more and more as you get older. I am 68 and I am just about all kid now 😉 I agree, thanks for the gift of this wonderful community. Love, love your bunny in a raincoat 🙂

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  6. Chaaarrlllieee! Great to see you pop up with a bunny looking very snazzy in that sunny yellow raincoat. It has been hailing and indeed snowing here today, so perhaps boots are needed, too…

    Sounds like you’re on a roll juggling any number of things, as per usual. Hope you have a great birthday – not long now! <3

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    1. Thanks, Jacob! 😃💕 I’ll never forget that time you gave me a zonkey for my birthday! hehe Best day ever! And yeah, hail and snow doesn’t sounds quite as fun. I hope that’s all past here… but each time it warms up, it gets cooler the next day. 😉

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  7. Happy birthday month! I’ll have cake in your honor!😂😂😂 Joe and I are waiting for our 2nd shots so looking forward to that. Maybe we can have company!

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    1. Thanks so much, Lisa! 😃💕 Yay! Let’s all have some cake! Yeah, I get my second shot the day after my birthday, so just before the end of the month, I’ll be totally ready to hug the first other fully vaccinated person I see! hehe I hope I actually know them as it might be awkward. 😉

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  8. Congrats on the book Charlie!! And how amazing to have the second one written 👍😁
    As for the bits of cake that you sneaked, ate, and contribute them to your creativity, that’s your story and you are sticking to it! 🤣😂 Happy Birthday month and keep on! 😁👍

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  9. Terrific news, Charlie! Can’t wait to get your new book(s), and I’m sending you the happiest of birthday wishes! 🥰🎂🎁🥂

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  10. Charlie if I ever thought of you as having age I would have said 30s. You are ageless somehow. Congrats on the books! YAYYYYYYYYYY!! You are multifacted.

    Yep cake makes us smarter hehehhehe. And happy birthday — now that you finished your birthday cake. Cackle.

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    1. That’s the sweetest compliment ever! 😃💕 30s?? I’ll take that… tell everyone!! lol And I definitely think cake makes us smarter for sure… well, a story I tell myself at least. Hmmm… you reminded me… I should get another cake for my birthday. This one doesn’t count! lol

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  11. Congrat’s to you for the progress on your book, and for reaching the half-cenury mark! “Ah yes, I remember it well….” (was it Maurice Chevalier who sang a duet of that song?) As you age, your inner child will continue to come out, and you will not be judged harshly for it! May God grant you many,many years!

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  12. 🎉🎉🎉 Felicidades, mi amigo, Charlie! 🎉🎉🎉 No wonder we are friends…. I celebrate my birthday all month long, too! haha haha Age is just a number, Charlie. Plus, the Lord promises that He always saves the BEST for last. Your BEST days are ahead!
    How wonderful that you got a second book ready! You rock star! And cake to boot! Enjoy your birthday month, Charlie! You deserve that and more! 🏵🌻🌺🌸

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    1. Thanks so much, Marisela! 😃💕 Yeah, it’s been a great month so far. It always takes time for a new book to actually show up fully online, but hopefully in the next couple weeks the first one will appear! I’m excited to get going on the next one even though I think a sane person would take a little break in between! lol Thankfully, that’s not me at all! Hope you are doing well!

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  13. Always nice to see you around with your lovely sketches and your awesome talks. I am super excited for you and to see your first illustrated book. I know it will be great. Keep on keeping on and have a wonderfully blessed birthday!!!

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  15. Hello Charlie,

    Wish you a very Happy Birthday Month!! It’s always a wonderful cheerful surprise to see your post. And I confess, I am JEALOUS. You managed to finish writing your second book. That is beyond amazing. I wish I could say that for my little stories. They start out great, keep going and get me stuck when it comes to the end. I’m left frustrated. I still keep trying but sometimes I get the feeling I ought to stick to reading the stories others write. But like your inner child, mine is hell bent on telling the story. I’m so glad you’re already enjoying cake. I hope you get loads of cupcakes with frosting too! 🙂 🙂 Have a fabulous month and stunningly awesome 50th year.

    Loads of love,
    Mugdha

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    1. Thanks so much, Mugdha! 😃💕 Aww… you know what I do on my stories? I really don’t know exactly what’s going to happen when I start, but I start writing the first bit and then after I get a handle on that part and what needs to happen for my character, I jump to the end and write how I’d like to see it finish for them. Then it’s just sort of fun and surprising journey to find out how the heck to get there! My posts work pretty much the same way, actually! lol I don’t know if it’s a proper method at all, but it seems to work for me, at least! 😉 I hope you have a fabulous and creative month my friend!

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    1. Thanks so much, Sandra! 😃💕 Aww that’s wonderful! Getting to spend time with family is the best ever. My mom and sister are supposed to pop by next month. We’ll all be vaccinated by then, so there WILL be hugs!! Yay!

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  18. Great to hear you have a picture book coming out soon and all the future projects ,wish you a great birthday month maybe you gonna held a big party btw a sweet colorful bunny in a raincoat you painted!!

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