Staying with this year’s prompts, I began to think about my “summer views.” Truthfully, my view of summer is that it’s entirely too hot here and should come with a warning label. The one thing that makes it all a bit better is the occasional bit of soft serve vanilla ice cream served in a cake cone. This has been my favorite since childhood and is still my first choice today. An ice cream cone, of course, if eaten outdoors, can quickly become a bit of a mess. The ice cream starts to melt almost immediately starting a furious and fast licking race to keep it from sliding down onto one’s hand. There are many different styles of licking this creates, from the “twist-and-lick” method to the aggressive “vacuum method” where folks inhale it in a massive vertical sucking motion. Though impressive, this seems to make the experience go by far too quickly. You’ll find me, instead, ducking indoors to finish my treat and enjoying it in a much slower fashion. I’m not entirely sure how I ended up on this tangent, but for those of you facing the summer heat, I definitely recommend staying cool with a bit of ice cream!
I’m actually laying off the desserts for awhile, which is precisely what makes me end up wanting to paint them more often. I don’t know whether it’s therapy or some odd form of masochism, but I do love painting them and it still feels like a treat. Obviously, one can’t have dessert all the time, can they? If they can, please tell me, because I’m totally in for that. Instead, I’m told that all these wonderful things should be done in moderation. This, however, is thankfully not true when it comes to watercolor and so I still happily make a little illustration each day. It’s now been over two years of daily doodlewashing for me which clocks in at just over 730 days. When I look at that number now, I’m rather flabbergasted that I’ve managed to make so many watercolor sketches. The “real” ones are trapped in a tower of sketchbooks in the corner, but the virtual ones are all happily hanging out here on Doodlewash. At this point, I often find myself searching my own site to see if I’ve painted something before, because I honestly can’t remember. But it’s nice to have an archive of everything I’ve done, right down to that first tree that started it all.
And I hope that each of you are enjoying the memories you are creating each and every day. For those attempting the ultimate challenge of 31 watercolors in 31 days, keep right on painting! It’s totally possible and quite addictive as I’ve proven. But, the ultimate goal is simply always to have as much fun as possible painting whatever it is you love most. That’s the secret to creating a daily painting habit that will become second nature and a necessary part of your life! It’s so rewarding, so as I always say, DO it! Today’s little painting and all of the ones this month so far were painted using the same little metal palette that appears next to the official logo for World Watercolor Month. This is a Joe Miller Travel Painter Palette with Brush, and I have 10 to give to folks today who haven’t yet requested one. Just let me know you want one by adding “Let’s Watercolor Each Day!” to your comments below on doodlewash.com. It’s a beautiful month of glorious watercolor painting and I hope that each and every one of you are enjoying the amazing summer views.
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About the Doodlewash
M. Graham Watercolors: Gamboge, Azo Orange, Burnt Sienna, and Ultramarine Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A6 Hahnemühle Watercolor Book.