Artist Steve McDonald finds new fans with adult colouring book

When Canadian artist Steve McDonald decided tomove his family to the island paradise of Bali, Indonesia,two years ago, he never fully considered the implications of leaving a traditional art gallery and adedicated client list behind.Even more surprising, he had no idea it would lead him to start creating art for other people to colour-in.

An established artist, the Creemore, Ont.-based McDonald has exhibited his work across thecountry. Many of his paintings have ended up in some of themost respected corporate and private collections.But now he faced a tougher challenge in finding away to showcase his art to a new audience from aremote part of the world.

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As McDonald notes, thesolution was partfate and partlya decision to change the wayhe painted.

"My work became less and less painterly, and the thing Ireally loved to do was draw I started to become lessconcerned about colour and more concerned aboutform and line."

The idea to produce an adult colouring book came from the people around him, McDonald says.

"I always considered myself a closet architect, and whenthe work started becoming more and more linear and Istarted dropping the colour out of it. I started gettingmore and more suggestions from fellow artists, clientsand even my own daughters that these things would bereally great to colour."

He decided to embark on a colouringbook project producing artistic outlines of well-knowncities around the world. From Stockholm to New York, the drawings replicate prominent monuments and dwellings in well-known sections of the city. McDonald has visited many of the locations, but most drawings are based on hi-resolution images taken byestablished photographers.

His vision was immediately ofinterest to a number of well-established publishingcompanies. The adult colouring book market hasexploded over the past couple of years and many outletswere looking for new ideas and innovative content.

San Francisco-based Chronicle Publishing appealedmost to McDonald, and eventually it released his firstbook titled Fantastic Cities.

The choice of publisher made sense toMcDonald. "Chronicle had a proven track record for great design and innovative publishing projects.They also had a really cool vibe that seemed to be a perfect fit for the coloring books."

Fantastic Cities has 58 pages of illustrations and is aimed at anyone who has a passion for architecture and detailed colouring. The first print run is approaching 400,000 copies and has been released in more than 22 countries.

McDonald says he is not surprised by thesuccess of adult colouring books.

"It's a gateway drug to creativity, these colouring bookspeople talk about how it's therapeutic, stress reducing," he says. "Idon't think that's specifically colouring books; I thinkthat is any creative pursuit. This one is easy to hoponboard."

Back home in Creemore after two years inBali, McDonald and Chronicle Publishing have plansfor and additional three books over the next few years.

"One of the lovely things about the work I'm doing forthe colouring book is it's the same thing I was doingbefore just packaged in a different way. I'm doing thesame thing I'd be doing anyhow, so it's a lovely littlesurprise for me that the book has so far been sosuccessful."