June 3, 2025

A Watercolor Song for a Dear Friend

Artist Lawson Drinkard rekindled his passion for painting, and his songwriter friend Larry Johnson, moved by the journey, wrote a song in celebration of it!

By The Art Toolkit Team

A watercolor painting featuring soft hues of blue, orange, and pink, depicting a tranquil landscape with reflections on water. The artwork is accompanied by a blank space bordered with a grid pattern, and the date "5/15/2025" is noted along with the title "Reflections."

In February of 2024, Lawson Drinkard was in Port Townsend visiting his old friend Larry Johnson and happened to walk past Art Toolkit’s new location downtown, but it had not officially opened yet. Lawson was so inspired by what he saw in the window that he placed an order that very day and had it sent to his home in Colorado. Lawson had gotten away from painting for a very long time, and the materials he saw inspired them to get going again.

On January 1st, 2025, Lawson set an intention to make a painting every day of the year, and so far he hasn't missed a day. Trips to the British Virgin Islands, Bozeman, MT, Death Valley, and Port Townsend have resulted in a collection of 4"x4" paintings, documenting his daily life and travels with his Art Toolkit.

Last month, Lawson was back in Port Townsend to see Larry, and they visited the shop (open this time!). They enjoyed looking at all of the beautiful supplies on display. Larry is a talented songwriter and was so inspired by what he saw in the shop and by Lawson’s reinvigorated painting adventures that he wrote a song about it.

Listen to Larry’s song here.

Lawson’s Art

Lawson Drinkard paints in a 10" x 5½" spiral ring Kilimanjaro Natural White Watercolor Paintbook that allows for two paintings per page. These books come from Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, a family-owned business that Lawson admires for its support of artists.

A watercolor painting with soft, blended colors depicting a scenic landscape of trees reflecting on water. The left side features colorful autumn foliage, while the right side is a blank space framed with a grid pattern. The date "5/5/2025" and the word "Reflections" are handwritten on the left page.
A colorful watercolor painting of a feather, primarily yellow with orange and olive green accents. The feather is depicted on textured paper with handwritten notes below, specifying the colors used.
A serene winter landscape featuring a snow-covered field with a distant view of mountains. A small red building is visible among trees with autumn foliage. The scene is captured in a watercolor style, with soft blue and white tones dominating the composition.
A watercolor painting of a man wearing a straw hat and sunglasses, sitting on a wooden chair near the beach. He gazes out at the turquoise water, with mountains in the background. The date "3/22/2025" and the title "The Captain at White Bay" are noted at the bottom.
Watercolor painting depicting Long's Peak in the distance, with a blue sky and scattered clouds above. The foreground features layered green and brown fields, creating a tranquil landscape. The date "4/23/2025" is noted at the top, with the title "Long's Peak from 95th" below.
A watercolor landscape featuring rolling hills under a bright blue sky with soft clouds. Sunlight casts a warm glow on the foreground, highlighting a tree and grassy fields. The date "1/26/2025" and the title "Afternoon Ripe" are written at the bottom.
Close-up of a paintbrush with a flat, faded bristle tip. The brush has a silver ferrule and a black handle. The background is a light, textured watercolor paper. The date "3/13/2025" and "1'' ROSEMARY SERIES 303" are written below.

Thank you, Lawson, for sharing how you’ve rekindled your creative practice, and thank you, Larry, for writing a song that captures the beauty of what you see! We were lucky enough to meet Lawson during his most recent trip, and were overjoyed to share their stories, art, and music with the broader Art Toolkit Community.

Lyrics

WATER COLORS© Larry Johnson - March 2025

A toolkit is his studio

A Red Dot guides his hand and so

His water colors freely flow

And melt into the sky

He sees what others may not note

When rendering what nature wrote

Imagination kept afloat

His troubles wave bye bye

It keeps him grounded

No need to rush

With paint and brush

No gettin' 'round it

A palette rich with shades and hues

A mixing pan becomes his muse

With playful passion he'll peruse

A well that's never dry

No gettin' 'round it

His eye detects

What happens next

It keeps him grounded

His water colors freely flow

And melt into the sky

by Larry Johnson
An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

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