Is Your World Looking Blah? Color It.

Or, as the British say,

Colour It.

Last December, one of my bosses at work gave us a coloring book for the Creative Department to share. This "adult coloring book" trend has been in bloom for quite some time, and I finally got to give it a try.

Our boss gave us the really good quality coloring book, Secret Garden Artist's Edition by Johanna Basford. This is the only only one I've seen that measures 10"x13" instead of square, and the black and white illustrations are on thicker cardstock, so you can pull each one out and frame it if you want.

Here's the link in case you want to learn more about the author, etc.: Click Here.

My first coloring I called The Golden Door...

I used my Berol Prismacolor artist-quality pencils for The Golden Door.
Clearly, I'm not a minimalist when it comes to color. I intentionally chose dark and doomy colors for below the door and lighter, brighter hues above.

My second coloring is The Secret Garden Owl...

The Secret Garden Owl, also done using Prismacolor pencils with lots of saturated hues.
The owl is definitely female, and I chose blues, greys and purples for her.
I photographed this on my vintage 70s, La-Z-Boy rocker recliner with chartreuse chenille upholstery.

 My third coloring is The Secret Garden Preppy Tree...

The Secret Garden Preppy Tree... I used Tombo markers for this because the lines are so fine and you have more control than with colored pencils. I drew the wide stripes myself to give the piece more verticality and graphic punch.
I photographed this on my pair of Ralph Lauren floral print shorts.

I realized after I completed this – I should have
made the stripe over the tree trunk in
yellow instead of blue for better contrast and visibility.

My fourth coloring is Garden Pinwheel...

Garden Pinwheel was done in Prismacolor pencils. I added the "handle" (using a Tombo marker) in the center to create a pinwheel. I intentionally chose darker hues for the center with lighter ones at the edges.

I find the whole coloring process very therapeutic, and it's a great way to de-stress and stretch your creative skills as well. Also, you don't have to be a fine artist and there are no deadlines to meet.

It's just great colorful fun!