Back in 2018, I published my first coloring book, Beautiful Bugs.

It was a learning experience, creating a self-published book. I'm still proud of it and still sell copies of it every month.

Ever since then I've wanted to publish another one.  In between tattoo designs, turtle illustrations, and other flights of fancy, I have been s-l-o-w-l-y working on an ocean-themed coloring book.  I thought I'd take this post to give a little progress report of it. 

My original goal was to have 20 illustrations (my bug book has 12), but I've since decided to lower that bar to 15. So far I have seven, and am almost done with my eighth.  As I draw them I make them available as printable coloring sheets in  my Etsy shop (and if you're on my email list, you've received them as free downloads).  Here's a look back at what's completed so far . . .

It's fun to see them all together like that.

  The next one I'm working on is a shark.

I'm kind of just making it up as I go.

Do you have any ideas for what my next ocean-themed illustration should be?

In our new house, we have our own master bathroom,  It's teeny tiny, but also so luxurious because we didn't have our very own toilet in our old place.   Anywho, the view from my porcelain throne is this snail. I drew it years ago, from a photograph of a snail that I encountered on a hike.

Confession: when I frame my drawings for myself, I eventually get tired of looking at them.  I start not liking them the more I look at them. They eventually end up in a closet because I don't want to look at them anymore.

This guy though, this guy I still enjoy looking at. And being where it is, I look at him a lot.

So I decided to pull him out again and spruce him up for a card design.  I thought this card might resonate with people in 2020, wanting to reach out to loved ones.

I just ordered these from my printer, so sometime in the next month they will be available in my Etsy shop. I'll keep you posted.

(And now when you buy any card from me, you can choose to have me send it directly to your loved one with your greeting inside, hand-written by me. No extra charge. Saves you a stamp.)

And on an unrelated note -- man life is weird right now. It just keeps getting weirder. I'm in Portland, Oregon and can't be outside because of the smoke from nearby forest fires. The sun is orange. It feels apocalyptic. 

Hope you're safe wherever you are.