Coloring Fool

I finally jumped on the bandwagon and bought a sophisticated coloring book. I've seen the displays, read the reviews, liked the tweets of excitement for months, but have just started taking part. I have mixed feelings on it.

First, I LOVE the idea. I loved coloring when I was younger and was fiercely jealous of those who could do so well. I remember being acutely upset that a friend won a coloring contest in kindergarten, making her the owner of a huge stuffed bunny rabbit. So, I've quite enjoyed paging through B&N's coloring book displays. For awhile I was overwhelmed by the choices, not only at B&N, but also at numerous other stores that now carry them. (Buyer beware, you get what you pay for. Pay attention to not only design, but also thickness and quality of paper.) But, a B&N gift card came my way last month and I decided it was finally time to give it a go.

And I chose...

Once I'd looked through all books twice, this one stood out because every page is like the cover. A huge expanse of possibilities. There aren't any pages that have the black background or much blank, draw your own options. Every page is a detailed drawing of tropical animals, giving the opportunity of the most colorful display you can imagine.

Ironically, this is also where my mixed feelings come in...I don't really have an imagination. Setting up a pattern of colors for such detailed drawings takes some time. None of it just comes to me. And so my relaxing activity becomes work. 

The results of an hour or so labor...

Not bad for a first start, but people, this is the tiny corner of one page...take a look at the size of the book in the picture above this one! Ugh. But I am happy with that bug and this keeps me going. That bug's colors and pattern came out so nicely it makes me want to try it again. And just maybe it will start to come naturally and it will become a more relaxing activity.

It's definitely a statement of some sort. I had two friends send me the picture below! Some explanation: the year each of our kids hits high school, we buy him/her a Mac laptop. Expensive, but it's the only present he/she receives from us, the child pitches in his/her own money, and family members contribute as their gift as well. We don't mid putting in a little more for something that will last a long time and is practical and useful (and Best Buy's same as cash offers rock). This year it is middle daughter's turn - she's getting a Mac Book Air with Microsoft Office. The cartoon below is so fitting.

That leaves me with one question to all you colorers out there. What's your favorite coloring utensil? Right now I have water color pencils, but have only used them as pencils, no water just yet.