These books are supposed to be for coloring mindfuly and de-stressing. I have tried that. It does not work for me. I would rather draw or paint than color between the lines.
I have these books bevause of their lines. While I was an artist, I used these lines as inspiration to make templates to cut stained glass. I made brooches, hanging ornaments, stepping stones and mosaics. The work was hard on my hands, but I loved it. I still have most of my equipment. Maybe I will make some small things now that there are fewer plants in my workshop…or not.

I will share a page from each book, so you can enjoy the lovely lines of the drawings.

American Wild Flowers by Paul E. Kennedy has good clean lines and accurate illistration. There are colored pictures of each so the correct colors can be used.

Enviroscapes by MindWare has beautifully arranged groupings. The use of symmetry is amazing. The drawings are large, so not hard to color.

Haeckel’s book of diatoms will be loved by any biologist. The first time I saw one under a microscope, the world stopped. Some pictures are colored. All have the scientific names. There is a ClipArt cd included. This is a treasure.

Ruth Heller is one of my FAVORITE illustrators. The children’s books she has done are wonderful. Look her up for more of her artwork. There are also coloring books by her of Ornaments. Sea.Life, Shapes and Spring Has Sprung. Oh dear! I must look those up.

Winged Wonders by Color Creatives has many different styles of art. Some resemble mandalas and mosaics. This is a nicely mixed set of illustrations for someone who intends to color the pictures.

Animal Kingdom by Millie Marotta is amazing just to look at. The drawings are complex so do not frustrate a little person with this book. She encourages coloring in patterns. Gorgeous drawings without color.

Nature, Coloring for Mindfulness has pages full of repeated patterns. It is intricate.

The last one is Secret Garden An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book by Johanna Basford. I consider this the most magical of all of these. Each page is a surprise. THIS is my favorite. Looking through these pages is like touring a wonderland.

If you know of someone who colors, draws or does stained glass art, one of these books would make a great gift.

I hope all are still in print. I have had some of these for decades.

FLOWER