I was very privileged this week to be able to assist an ex-marine artist, Amanda Shomber, in pulling together a set of 21 colouring sheets for her art packs, over a thousand, to be distributed to a North Carolina Refugee camp. Having arrived suddenly with little or no belongings, there is a need for children to feel safe, cared for and distracted. It is a world I know little about but I knew I could offer my drawing skills to help in a small way. Art therapy I whole heartedly support.

Her website is : http://www.beeskneesartbyamanda.com and she makes colourful character mugs.

Over two days I traced with thick and thin pen, images I hoped would appeal, friendly, unpolititical, and varied. Colouring books have had a real resurgence in our modern stressful world. It’s not easy to draw sometimes, or the imagination is limited to even start on a sketch, but we can all colour and shade and in fact some of the completed works are stunning. Colouring is relaxing, it let’s the mind concentrate on that simple shape and loose its anxiety.

I found it quite liberating outlining my designs, not having to worry about shading and colour and after two days I had pulled together twenty one images, scanned and sent. My sheets will go in the second run and I hope that the children will have fun sharing their creativity and feeling that in times of trouble, there are people who do care and can help.