World Watercolor Month – Day 21 – A Hummingbird In The Wind

After seeing a prompt of “wind in the trees” I thought of trees, of course, and then the loud sound of cicadas in the summer, and then suddenly, began wondering about hummingbirds. I remember seeing an article about scientists who used high-speed videography to capture the wing patterns of the little birds in a wind tunnel. Actually, it was a wind and rain tunnel to study how the little creatures reacted to the elements. It was fascinating to watch, they even shake their the rain off their little heads like dogs, and so I decided to try a little doodlewash of one today. This is the first time I’ve tried to paint of hummingbird, as I think I thought about doing so previously and then skipped it. Somewhere in my stack of sketchbooks, there’s an abandoned sketch of one. But, today, in honor of World Watercolor Month, I decided to just go ahead and DO it finally. That’s the fun part about daily painting, you can really let yourself try new things as there’s always tomorrow to give it another go.

I’ve seen a few hummingbirds visit this year, but they’re usually on their way to a more inviting terrace of one of the other row homes. By that I mean, the ones that belong to people who actually planted lovely things this year instead of just letting whatever chose to grow back do so. We have several pots with several green things in them that I can’t remember planting in the first place and am not entirely sure if they’re simply weeds. As hobbies go, gardening has never been one of mine. I’d rather be painting and sketching. Though I’m impressed by those who keep a lovely garden and more than a little envious. But like all things in life, you can’t do everything so you simply have to choose. For example, I choose to walk and eat well instead of “work out,” a phrase that sound like too much, well, work. Though art is also referred to as work. My work, artwork. I think when it comes to work, the kind that matters most is the kind that ultimately doesn’t feel like work at all.

For today, I have a Winsor & Newton watercolour marker sample in a lovely cerulean blue hue for the first 10 people (if you haven’t yet gotten one) who comment directly on doodlewash.com with the phrase, “Let’s DO This!”. There’s a little more than a week to go of World Watercolor Month and I hope all of you have been having a blast! This has been an amazing year, with an incredible number of watercolors being produced each and every day. And even if you don’t end up with 31 this month, you’ll end up with a stack of memories and the lovely feeling of knowing your “work” has made people smile. I’ve been watching each and every painting that’s filling the Official World Watercolor Month gallery and I’m constantly impressed and amazed. This year, I’ve been rushing to keep up with everything that’s happening and haven’t had the time I would like to comment, but I’ll just leave one comment for everyone now: “I LOVE what you’re making! It inspires me each and every day!” And now, with more things to do before I move on to my evening, I must rush off once again, like a hummingbird in the wind.

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About the Doodlewash M. Graham Watercolors: Quinacridone Rose, Azo Yellow, Cobalt Teal, Viridian, and Ultramarine Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with 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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