Coloring has been a part of my life since I was old enough to hold a crayon. Probably even before I was able. Coloring has been a part of my life since I first saw my Mom and Nana coloring for me, showing be the wonders of putting color on paper.
This is a page from The Doors of Marfa, TX: Coloring Pages
I remember like it was yesterday, coloring for hours with Nana & Mom; crayons, pastels, watercolor coloring pencils, markers. My favorite Coloring Pages were the amazing large format coloring books that reproduced the original E.H. Shepherd illustrations from A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, and my other favorite, the coloring book of illustrations from the Babar series by Jean DeBrunhoff. Wow! These books were about 20″ x 30″.
I had them in my studio in my horizontal file. I cherished them. They were destroyed by the Hurricane Sandy. They are the only thing I miss from when the studio flooded with 3′ of water. But I have the memories not only of the process of coloring with Mom and Nana, but how I felt while I was coloring.
Serene. Peaceful yet Powerful. After all you get to choose the colors! And as for adding whatever you want to the page, that is your choice as well. I might look for these books on the internet one day if I am blessed with a grandchild, but for now, I have the coloring book that I designed with Joseph.
A detail of a brilliantly colored door from the series by the GWU students
The Doors of Marfa, TX: Coloring Pages. A series of line drawings, most very minimalist and very open to expression.
I was overwhelmed a couple of weeks ago at dinner celebrating my birthday. My only child, Veronica, presented me with a rectangular package…..it took me a few minutes, but I knew immediately what it was: her copy of The Doors of Marfa, TX: Coloring Pages. I had sent her a copy and asked if she would color some pages for me. Well being the thoughtful, creative daughter she is, I was presented with the book colored from cover to cover. And to make it even more special, she had enlisted her dear friends to each color a page. The wonderful young people who knew me, wrote me notes on the page, some of the ones who didn’t wrote me as well. Wow! Today I began posting a few of the line drawings as they appear in the book and I will take it page by page to show you the unique creativity these hard working students from The George Washington University colored. They enjoyed the break from their stressful week of midterm exams and papers. Coloring as a soul soothing, centering activity. Only one of these students are visual art students. But you can see that their imaginations are working overtime. And the fruits of those imaginations will be carried with them into whatever career they choose.
So let’s not hear anything more about defunding the arts.
The Doors of Marfa, TX: Coloring Pages
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