Author: Aisling

Two Christmas Coloring Books and a Free Download

As you may have noticed, I’ve been on a coloring book binge, this past year.

Christmas coloring book - vol 2
Click here to order this book at Amazon.

Christmas is no exception. So far, I’ve created two Christmas coloring books. They’re filled with ornaments you can color, cut out, embellish, and display. Each is designed to hang on your tree, your Christmas wreath, or as part of a holiday mobile or something.

(Of course, if you celebrate holidays other than Christmas, these ornaments still work. The designs are entirely abstract.)

These Christmas coloring books start taking my coloring-ish books in a slightly new direction. I’m including more craftsy ideas in them.

These books include four pages of how-to ideas to do more with the ornaments… like fasten them to paper garlands. Or scan them, print them on fabric, and make quilted ornaments with them. (Or even use them as centerpieces for each square in a quilt.)

A preview of 2017…? Maybe.

For 2017, I’m starting to focus on different, creative projects. Things that take me back to my artsy-craftsy roots.

See… a few decades ago (it sounds SO weird to say that), I used to create monthly, full-page crafts pages for Lady’s Circle magazine. Each of my pages would include a simple pattern for a creative project. And then… I’d go wild with lots of ideas to use that pattern in a variety of ways.

It all started when I created a simple teddy bear design, and turned him into a “no-sew” crafts project. It involved natural herbs that repelled moths, and teddy would become an ornament-sachet to hang in your closet.

He was a huge success. Lady’s Circle readers responded with enthusiasm.

And… I kept creating designs (and myriad ideas for using them), month after month, until the magazine changed editorial direction, a couple of years later.

I loved creating those projects, and I think I want to get back to that for 2017. I’m still thinking about it.

In fact, I’m re-reading Amanda Palmer’s book, “The Art of Asking,” and Cory Doctorow’s book “Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free,” to reconsider my business models.

My hippie impulses are kicking in again, hard. And, I’m looking at ways to make lots more treats available, free… while still being able to earn a living.

So, my websites may start looking very different in 2017.

Meanwhile, back at ye olde  Christmas drawing board…

I’m working on these Christmas ornament coloring books. The first two are in Amazon right now. (At least one more may follow, in the next week or so.)

Each book includes:

  • Over 180 unique, round ornaments in different sizes and styles. (I haven’t counted, but I know the number is over 180, and I’m pretty sure it’s over 200.)
  • All designs are printed on one side of the page. So, there’s no bleed-through of ink… unless you’re using really juicy markers, I suppose.
  • Every ornament is designed to color, cut out, and hang on your Christmas tree or wreath. (Or tape to your window. Or iron onto a tee shirt with the appropriate — or inappropriate — holiday greeting. Go ahead. Have fun with this.)
  • Also: Four pages of decorating and crafts ideas, to get the most from these ornaments. (That’s what I referred to, earlier in this article. It’s a “sneak preview” of what I’m considering for 2017.)
  • Bonus: Two Christmas wreaths to color and decorate. Cut ’em out. Tape them to your dorm or apartment door. Or to your cubicle. Instant Christmas spirit!
  • Plus: Additional pages of Christmas ornament coloring pages. Most started as experiments, as I designed my holiday books. (Some worked out better than others, but I figured all of them were good enough to share, anyway.)
  • And sample pages from a few of my other coloring books.

Both books are suited to family activities. I tested them with children as young as three years old, and with adults. Everyone enjoyed them.

So, you can color your ornaments now, and display them at your home or office.

OR, you can plan this as a family activity, during holiday get-togethers. (They’re also ideal for classrooms and Scout meetings, “girls’ night out” activities, etc.)

So far, Volumes 1 & 2

Christmas coloring book ornaments - vol 1The coloring designs in Volume 1 (black background cover) are more ornate and detailed, but still in my usual “hippie style.” If you liked 1960s art by Peter Max, and the designs in the Beatles’ film, “Yellow Submarine,” this is the book you’ll want.

(Not sure? See the freebie sampler page, linked below.)

Volume 2 (white background cover) is more relaxed, and all the ornaments feature loops, swirls, and circle artwork. They’re probably faster to color.

And, remember: My coloring books are priced super-low, and each books’ copyrights include my formal okay to copy for personal use. So, go ahead and share these ornament pages with your students. Or your friends.

Links to buy at Amazon:

Here’s a sampler of the ornaments in Volume 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8noedrX-LRwNGNBTm5FaVpscEk/view (That’s a free download you can print.)

Free Coloring Page – Garden-style

garden-y coloring page -- free downloadYes, this seems like a good day for a free coloring page.

I’m working on a couple of new coloring book series. So, I’m happy to share one of the pages.

I draw these by hand, and then clean up the lines (just a little) in Photoshop.

So, they’re kind of irregular. They’re kind of organic. And, yes, they’re a style I’ve been drawing in, since my early teens.

(As a teen, at the local public library, I created each summer’s reading program artwork for the Children’s Reading Room. It was almost always in this style… wavy, wobbly, and fantastical.)

Here’s the link to the free coloring page: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8noedrX-LRwWW1VMnlWU0lIeE0

If you’d like to share the link with a shorter URL, this works, too: http://tinyurl.com/zwyp7rd

It’s a hand-drawn coloring page — 8.5″ x 11″ — that you can download and print as a PDF.

I’m preparing a new coloring book series in this style. It should be available in early 2017.

More Copyright -> A Brilliant Resource

question markAs artists, bloggers, authors, publishers, and generally creative people, we often turn to stock images — at sites like Shutterstock, DepositPhotos.com, FreeImages.com, MorgueFile.com (not what it sounds like), and a bazillion others — for art, photos, and inspiration.

We also use things like the Creative Commons search engine, to find hidden gems for our work.

But, do you know what’s okay to use in your artwork…? And what’s legal to use in artwork you sell…?

I’ve talked about copyright in the past. I’ve also debunked the “three stroke rule.” Those are old articles, but most of the information still applies. (Remember: I’ve been online, talking about art, for 20 years now. Really.)

Now, a friend has created a great article and infographic on the topic of stock images and how/when to use them:

Stock Images [Cheat Sheet]

Go see it. It’s very cool!

Fore-Edge Book Art – Historical Examples

When I first saw this concept in the movie, Crimson Peak, I didn’t think fore-edge book art was anything mainstream… ever.

Now, I’ve learned that it’s a legitimate book art. (How did I never hear of this, before?)

It’s something I’m considering including in my altered books art, and perhaps other projects.

Another example, from 1801:

Here’s a 1947 video showing one way fore-edge art was added to books:

And here’s a modern artist working with this concept:

For more historical insights, this 28-minute discussion explains the fore-edge tradition and practice in more detail:

Merging, Moving, and More

Quick update: By the end of February, this site will move to new hosting. To most visitors, nothing will look different. The site might appear to be offline for a few hours, during the move, but that’s all. (Site is now at new hosting. Whee!)

I’m also continuing to merge most of my art-related websites. All of them will become part of Aisling.net.

Update, 21 Feb 2016: Everything is here (except some of the really old articles). However, I need to fix the illustrations, recordings, & links in the articles that moved here from ArtistsJournals.com. (I’m keeping the old ArtistsJournals.com site online, until I fix these issues.)

At the start of March 2016, this site should be a one-stop resource for mixed media artists and artists who keep visual journals.

Meanwhile, if you’re on the updates list — receiving emails every time I add something to this website — I appreciate your patience. You may see a flurry of updates as lots (and lots) of articles are added to this site.

Coming Next – Mailart and More

moving boxesIn the continuing re-integration of articles from my original website (started around 1995, back in the GeoCities days), my next project is to restore mailart-related articles to this site.  Those (very dated) posts are still at my old, dusty, HTML site, and need to be revamped, rewritten, and moved here.

Meanwhile, yes, the coloring books continue. I’ve created 20 of them, so far. My top-selling coloring book is Bold and Easy Coloring Pages 1, with a new book being released about every two weeks.

I’m absolutely loving this. Most of my coloring books are hand-drawn (yep, ol’ fashioned pen & paper), so they take a lot of time… but the feedback from them has been very worthwhile.

In the immediate future: To improve navigation and load time at this site, I’ll be changing its design and some of its features… but only slightly. When that’s underway, this site may look rather untidy. If you land here during that time, I apologize; keep in mind that it’s a major milestone as I re-energize this site.

Thanks!

Free Coloring Pages from ‘Bold and Easy 4’

Bold and Easy Coloring Pages 4 - coverOkay, I’m enthusiastic about coloring books. And, I’ll admit I’ve been carried away by the success of my “Bold and Easy Coloring Pages” series.

This series has wider lines that are easier to see if someone has a vision challenge. And, in most cases, the coloring areas are larger. That makes them easier to color by anyone with dexterity issues like arthritis or difficulty holding a coloring pencil, marker, or crazy.

(The cover at right shows the most complex coloring design in this book.)

They’re ideal for special education teachers, seniors with some disabilities, and anyone who wants a book that’s easier to see and has bigger areas to color.

But… last week, in my enthusiasm, I accidentally uploaded the wrong interior for “Bold and Easy Coloring Pages 4.” And, besides having designs I hadn’t planned to include in the final edition, one page actually had an error on it.

The word “embarrassed” doesn’t begin to describe how I felt when I made the discovery.

Fortunately, I found it so quickly, only one person had bought the book. (The book now selling at Amazon is the correct one.)

If you’re that one person who bought it, please contact me and tell me:  What country you purchased it in, when you bought it, and how much you paid.

In return, I’ll send you an Amazon gift certificate so you can replace that book, and buy another one of my coloring books (or anything else you’d like to use the certificate for).

Meanwhile, here are two free pages from the corrected edition of Bold and Easy Coloring Pages 4. Download, color, and share them!

Free sample 1 – Free sample 2

Here’s what they look like:

Sample 1Sample 2You can find more free downloads — including others from my “Bold and Easy” series at the Coloring Group website.

New Coloring Book, and New Free Coloring Book Pages

Okay, I’m so hooked on coloring books, I may need a support group soon. (I am kidding. I can’t imagine wanting to be pried away from my art… ever!)

Lovely Designs 1, by Aisling D'ArtMy latest is Lovely Designs 1 (now out of print), and it’s a little different from my previous books. In addition to the 26 coloring pages (printed on one side of each page), I’ve included six “DIY” (do it yourself) pages.

When I draw my coloring pages, I don’t sketch anything ahead of time. Instead, I go right to work with a large pen or brush-style marker. I make broad, sweeping strokes to indicate the main areas of the design.

Next, I scan those drawings, so I can clean them up a little in Photoshop. That’s partly to erase any truly impossible lines I’d included. However, it’s even more useful to get a fresh look at the art… in a different scale (small), and in a different context (on my monitor).

LovelyDesigns1-Sample2It’s similar to how I used to explain my online diary, back when people thought that was weird. (Long before “blogging” became a trend.)

I used to explain how much easier it was to see what I was doing well — and not-so-well — in my life. On the computer monitor, it was like reading someone else’s story, not my own. (That may not be easy to understand, but — in those days — people weren’t so deeply enmeshed in social media and in each other’s lives. So, to read a “story” online was like reading a news story or diary by someone else altogether.)

Anyway, after I tweak my initial drawing, I print it so I can add embellishments and details, by hand.

Six of those un-embellished scans became part of Lovely Designs 1, along with three illustrated pages explaining how I embellish them… in case anyone else wants to try their hand at this kind of art, but needs a “head start” to gain more confidence.

Lovely Designs 1 - Left-hand editionAlso, Lovely Designs 1 contains two mandalas and two repeating patterns based on the same drawings.

For my left-handed friends, I’ve also created a left-hand edition of Lovely Designs 1. (I’m trying to do this with most of my coloring books. In my opinion, nothing about art should be inconvenient, ever. That includes having to reach across a coloring book, just to color the picture.) That’s its cover, on the right. (See the double-L logo at the lower right side of the cover, indicating a left-hand edition.)

So, anyway… the freebies have arrived. I’ve added them to the ColoringGroup.com list of free coloring book pages.

 

What’s on Your Desk?

Aisling's computer desk - 20150901Following the lead by K. M. Weiland (http://www.kmweiland.com/all-the-super-important-stuff-on-this-writers-desk/) and encouraged by my friend Nanette Day and the example set by Jules Dixon —  I’m sharing a completely un-staged photo of what’s on my computer desk this morning.

(My current “art desk” is my bed. I have stacks of paper for drawing, plus a silverware drawer insert — $2 from IKEA, but you can find similar ones at Target, Walmart, etc. — filled with pens, pencils, paintbrushes, etc.)

Anyway, here’s what’s on my writing/computer desk and (at least partially) shown in the photo:

1. Computer (bearing a Honeydukes sticker from the Harry Potter shop at Universal Studios theme park), printer/scanner, and monitor.
2. One mic, plus one headset with its own mic.
3. Two pens, four thumb drives, a calculator, a portable hard drive, and a spare USB hub.
4. Two bottles of vits and a glass of water.
5. Lots of papers: My daily to-do notebook, and yellow, lined pad for notes. Notes from said yellow pad.
6. A printed page from my upcoming coloring book, still in progress.
7. Last but not least: A white mouse from IKEA.

(If you’re just desperate to see everything in detail, click on the photo for the 800 x 600 pixels version.)

Since I’m incredibly busy right now, it’s a minor miracle that my desk is this tidy.

I decided to post this since it’s kind of in line with “Real Professional Qualities,” my somewhat sarcastic article from Professional Quilter magazine, March 1986 issue.