I’m proud and pleased to announce the release of my latest book: “Sensational Succulents, an adult coloring book of amazing shapes and magical patterns” published by Timber Press. The book’s line drawings, by illustrator Laura Serra, are based on my photos.
The book doesn’t officially ship until June 1, but I’ll have advance copies available at the fourth annual Succulent Celebration at Waterwise Botanicals nursery in north San Diego County, Friday and Saturday, May 20-21.
My presentations both days will emphasis succulents that beautifully illustrate nature’s artistry. By immersing yourself in the patterns and geometry of succulents, you’ll discover yet another reason to enjoy the plants, and gain greater insight into why you love gardens and gardening.
All photos used for the coloring book are on my website so you can refer to them, if you like, when selecting which colors to use.
I used the line drawing of Graptoveria ‘Fred Ives’ from the book and the photo that inspired (shown above) it to paint the watercolor I’m holding below.
I also made a 4-minute video that shows how I traced the image onto watercolor paper, masked white areas of the photo, applied washes, and painted one leaf at a time by dropping in dabs of color.
Adult coloring books are popular because they offer hours of stress-relieving, creative fun. Sensational Succulents is filled with a huge array of plants that inherently have relaxing patterns—in fact, succulents are known for them. Illustrations appear on only one side of a high-quality paper that supports a variety of mediums, including pencils and markers.
I hope you’ll discover the relaxing pleasure of coloring via my new book. Regardless, I’d love to see you at this year’s Succulent Celebration!