2001 the year we all remember . . . 911 happened.

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Prior to that September day, my life was already going through a personal mess.

Since the age of 13 I always kept journals; but my pain at that time was too much for me to even journal. Yet I needed an outlet to busy my mind and my hands since I couldn’t nor wouldn’t write. I began to just doodle around with my pen or pencil or marker-something else I always did since a kid.

Back then my nickname was 'BABZ' but family has always called me Barbie.​

One day, a friend saw one of my drawings and she encouraged me to do something with my work. I said "I have an idea about doing a coloring book?"

“What a great idea!”, she replied.

So I began working on a themed coloring book idea I had.

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Well, just like floor-plan in that great Cary Grant movie “Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House” . . . my themed coloring book was getting out of control and I hit a block, like writer's block.  My exercise every night was to free draw . . .

no plan or pressure, just doodle.

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Finally, I did create a coloring book!  I put so much detail into this book. I researched and submitted it to publishers that had a niche for a coloring book.

I did receive back a few nice hand signed rejection letters.

Not to give up, I sold some at craft fairs and shops 'they' would “fit” into. There were a few who caught my vision in 2001-2002 . . . that coloring is a great pastime for a variety of reasons. But it wasn’t the masses.

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So I shelved it, moved on and kind of just let it be and then . . . the coloring book boom happened.  I will be honest, it kind of hurt.  Friends who meant well would say “get your book back out there!”. 

But the books marketing were mostly computer created

and by the time I fixed my homegrown looking little book to “fit in”

the craze will be over and the market saturated.

I let it go again.

But hey, now it is 2020 and COVID-19 Pandemic is happening worldwide;

So even as this is a global journey . . .

it is a personal one too.

 

 

 

Today, in April, 2020, my drawings are still the simple hand drawn doodles and . . .

they are as I always intended . . .  just for you.

Peace, Barbie

   

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Pages to download and print - 4 U 2 Color, anytime. Especially now during the COVID-19 virus pandemic, time is a place in which to create a little beauty to share safely.  Just download/save the .pdf file to your computer and print it out, then pull your colored pencils or crayons out and have fun while creating you own beautifully colored pages. For those who color digitally, you can do this also, just open the .jpg files and use your graphics paint software.

 

 

 

** All rights reserved. Pages are not to be duplicated by any other website for the purpose of file downloads; which is a violation of Copyright. ©Barbara Kirkpatrick 'Barbie' ©2002

 

** Please share this link so others may also download the pages to enjoy: 

http://web4uname.wixsite.com/barbiedraws4u2color

 

Enjoy coloring!

                    'Barbie' 

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