The natural landscape, sea life and animals along B.C.’s coast inspired artist Yvonne Maximchuk to create an adult colouring book, Colour the British Columbia Coast.
“I had seen colouring books and thought while they are beautiful I wanted to have my book have the things I love,” said Maximchuk. “I wanted to have tear out pages so if people have drawings that they are really excited about they could tear out the pages.”
She started drawing a few pages and decided to submit them to Harbour Publishing. She had worked with the publishing company previously having co-authored Full Moon Flood Tide and Tide Rips and Back Eddies with Bill Proctor, which were also published by Harbour Publishing.
She submitted examples of her work in February and said the publisher responded quickly and gave her a March deadline to complete 40 drawings.
“That was pretty thrilling to have a quick response,” said Maximchuk.
She also previously wrote Drawn to the Sea, a memoir about her life living in the remote community of Echo Bay, B.C. She has lived in the community for the past 30 years. In Echo Bay, she met Proctor, who was a fisherman, and joined him as a deckhand on his boat for eight seasons of fishing on the B.C. Coast. Some of the natural sights she saw inspired images included in her adult colouring book.
Adult colouring books have been growing in popularity. Maximchuk said colouring is about self expression and managing stress.
“Being able to sit and colour I think has offered people a lot of peace,” said Maximchuk.
Images included in the book include floathouses and boats, grizzlies and whales and others. Each illustration also has a caption on the opposite page that describes the scene she created and offers colouring tips.
Maximchuk is celebrating the release of Colour the British Columbia Coast with a colouring workshop and book signing Monday (July 11) from 6-8 p.m. at the Nanaimo Harbourfront Library. Photocopies of pages of her book will be available for people to colour and copies of her book will also be for sale. The free event is adult focused.
For more information please go to www.harbourpublishing.com or www.yvonnemaximchuk.com.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com