Happy Little Alligator

Hello there!

One of the joys of lockdown (yes, such things do exist) is following along an edition of Joy of Painting using a tablet device.   

It's not as easy as it sounds.  When Bob is daubing away merrily, I'm usually trying to find the right brush and setting. But it's always great fun.

So I'm not going to give any tips or advice about how to do this. That would totally suck the fun out of it.  

But what I will say is this - You know the bit where Bob 'beats' his clean brush to help dry the bristles?

That part really doesn't work with a stylus or pen.  Someone needs to invent an app to simulate that. Or an actual paintbrush that you could use on a tablet.  That would be awesome. 

But I recently realised something else that is just as awesome.  Bob often suggests that there is something that isn't in the picture, but, well, with a little imagination it could be.  He then leaves that thought with us.  It's a beautiful piece of subtle suggestion.

Now, normally I'd just finish my virtual scrawl that sort of resembles the canvas on the television screen, and then leave it at that.  But then I realised that maybe Bob is giving the viewer a little prod to do something more than just a landscape image.  And that the initial image itself is a simple backdrop to all kinds of other things.

Which brings me to the 'Happy Little Alligator' of the title.

"Let's just add a Happy Little Alligator in here..."

The alligator was not part of this swamp scene, but Bob did mention how you'd be likely to see such creatures there. 

So it felt right to see what would happen if one was added. And even better, it actually works.  It adds a little life and movement to break up the stillness of the image.  And of course, it's my little world, so if I decide that it needs a happy little alligator, then in it goes.

It also made me wonder if Bob enjoyed sparking people's imaginations as much as completing a painting.  I'd like to think so.  

Following that realisation, I'm now looking again at my other Joy of Painting copies to see how they can be enhanced.

I'm sure I saw a badger ice-skating on a frozen lake in one picture.  And then there was that mountain scene that was a cross between The Sound Of Music and Jurassic Park.   

What do you think? 

Cheerio for now!

P.S. If you want to know what this should actually look like, then here is the original programme on BBC iPlayer (UK Only)