Watercolor inspiration all month long! 

What comes to mind when thinking about the month of July? Of course, we have the summer essentials; fireworks, barbeques, and warm weather. For those with an artistic side, July is officially declared World Watercolor Month thanks to founder Charlie O’Shields. Creator of the watercolor blog “Doodlewash,” O’Shields founded World Watercolor Month to unite artists in celebrating watercolors while sharing their artwork, as well as raising awareness of the need of children’s art supplies and art education.

With a love and dedication to promoting the joys of watercolor art, O’Shields set out to make World Watercolor Month official in 2016. Landing watercolors on the official calendar was an easy campaign, despite over 18,000 applications being submitted for “official days” each year.

“They (the registrars) immediately agreed with the heart and spirit of the month. The focus on art education was and still is the most compelling part of World Watercolor Month,” states O’Shields. “As we come together to celebrate as a global community, we are not just celebrating this moment, we are celebrating the artists of tomorrow!”

Aside from igniting the watercolor artist in us all, the core meaning of the month is the partnership with International Child Art Foundation (ICAF). According to Doodlewash.com, the International Child Art Foundation employs the universal language of art to cultivate schoolchildren’s creativity to prepare them for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and develop mutual empathy for a peaceful future. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., ICAF serves American children as their national arts organization and the world’s children as their global arts organization.

With watercolor supplies available in our children, student, and adult brands, Faber-Castell is joining in on the fun. Follow along as we feature some of our favorite watercolor products such as our Connector Paintbox, Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencil, and our Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencil to name a few. We will also host giveaways, as well as participate in the challenge: 31 watercolor paintings in 31 days!  

Whether you are an experienced artist or are new to the craft, O’Shields and the Doodlewash team encourage you to join in on the celebration.

“I’m a firm believer that we all have a natural creative ability and we need only remember back to when we were kids to know that’s true. I also hope the month inspires parents to try watercolor with their kids. It’s a perfect medium for kids and adults alike,” says O’Shields.

To learn more information regarding World Watercolor Month, visit the Doodlewash blog. Be sure to share your own watercolor art with hashtags #WorldWatercolorMonth and #FCWatercolorMonth, and stay connected with Faber-Castell as we celebrate all month long.