I see your true colours shining through...

Yes, I just quoted Phil Collins because his 1996 smooth jazz cover of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly's "True Colors" is playing in my head as I work on this Christmas project. 

Last year, I bought a copy of Johanna Basford's Secret Garden, Artist's Edition. I am no artist but the paper is thick enough that coloured ink won't bleed through, something that got me interested because I tend to use ink in colouring. Also, the book promises to be an anti-stress regimen. Okay, I'm sold!

While I'm colouring an image, I can't help but be amazed at how the picture become alive... slowly but surely. Plus, I'm happy to see that some of my colouring skills haven't left me. The claim about reducing stress is true, by the way. The effort used in colouring does tire out my hands but it allows me to focus on something for a few hours... better than watching the telly for hours on end (which I also do when I feel really tired).

One of my favourites is an image of a peacock, which I've already promised to give as a Christmas gift last year (but I finished just last week). I was amazed at how colour changes the way I look at it! 


The one I'm working on now, an owl, also going out as a gift, is fast becoming vibrant too. I might change my mind about my fave once I see this owl image completely coloured in.


Last year, I bought Caran d'Ache stuff, because they're Swiss-made but they're not the cliché souvenir from Switzerland (I decided not to buy a cuckoo clock). So for the owl picture, I coloured in the background with Fibralo coloured pen (black) and the rest of the image is filled with colour using Prismalo coloured pencils. 

Obviously, it's still a work in progress. But it looks like it's going to be ready in time for Christmas this year. I hope the recipient will like it. 

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