Color Me Shouting

 
It's always in fashion to give a shout-out to a good friend's accomplishment.

The super-talented Durell Godfrey has just published "Color Me Cluttered", a coloring book for grownups of all ages that throws a curve at those mind-numbing books of mandalas and meditation templates.  $15.00 at the bookstore or $11.11 from Amazon. You can't wear it (1960's paper dresses aside), but you can have— as they say— hours of fun.

Her scenes reveal how we actually live, the minutiae of everyday, the what-might-happen-if-you-let-go mix of chaos and collecting that is real life.

Each picture is a little treasure, because you don't see the details until you start coloring. And you don't have to color in everything to create a charming vignette. Like most of these books, it's best to use colored pencils. I just discovered a giant tin from my old graphic design days, all sharpened and ready to go. And hurrah to Random House for choosing sturdy paper stock.

Did you have that Dylan poster?

You may be familiar with Durell Godfrey's work if you read Glamour Magazine in the '70s and '80s. She created the illustrations for Glamour's monthly "How to do Anything Guide", one of their most popular features. In recent years she has become a contributing photographer for the Easthampton Star and is their resident "hunter and gatherer" (shopping maven).

Durell wearing another hat...

Durell has never stopped drawing, of course. But I asked her if it was hard to get the fingers (and the brain) working fast enough to turn out the 44 illustrations needed for the book. She says, no; it was like riding a bike. Once she warmed up she just kept going. On a Schwinn Flyer!

"Color Me Cluttered" makes a great gift...