Following on from the launch of my Wonderlands book at the weekend,

I thought a post on my first book Secret Garden was long over due, so here we go…

 

Last year I signed a book deal with Laurence King.

This was both unexpected and awesome in equal measures.

 

‘Secret Garden, An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book’ was released in Spring this year,

Here’s a little about it…

 

The monochrome botanicals of the dust jacket are peppered with a smattering of gold,

I’m eternally grateful to my publishers who indulged my love of a fancy print finish!

 

Peel back this inky wrapper and what lies beneath is a beautifully tactile Kraftboard cover, delicately printed in black opaque.

I love that the naked book feels like a pretty brown papered parcel!

 

 

A treasured book always has a name or an inscription in the front cover,

So I was a little presumptuous and penned a pretty plaque for the owner to autograph.

 

 

Secret Garden is not only a colouring book, but also an inky treasure hunt.

Hidden within are all kinds of creatures and curiosities to be sought.

The book opens with a list of things to be found, throwing down the eye spy gauntlet.

63 beatles, 20 songbirds, 116 butterflies, 1 shark…

 

The pages are all black and white, naturally.

Bare for you to either embellish in ebony ink or to flood with colour.

I fully support both pursuits; there’s a time and a place for monochrome elitism, this is not it.

 

 

 

The book is a collection of panoramic garden scenes, floral repeat patterns, imagined botanicals and fantastical foliage.

I wanted to create a book that would charm and delight both children and adults.

For small hands there are petals to be added to flower stems and butterflies for colouring,

While more seasoned Secret Gardeners will hopefully loose themselves in the inky intracies and delicate details.

 

 

The second print run has just reached our shores, so if you are waiting patiently for your book it should be with you shortly.

As well as the UK and USA versions (Colouring and Coloring),

It has been printed in Spanish, Italian, German, French, Japanese and soon to be Dutch!

So exciting!

I wouldn’t believe this were it not for the bundles of exotic looking editions that occasionally thud through the letterbox,

Destined now to be only hoarded and Instagrammed.

 

 

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to send me photos of their colouring,

It’s so cool to see how you make the pictures your own!

I’ve set-up a Facebook Gallery of all the snaps, take a peek and email me yours.

 

Secret Garden, An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book

RRP £9.95

Available from lots of independant shops (like DCA) as well as online via Laurence King, Amazon, Indie Bound, Powells & Barnes and Noble.

 

And finally…  I should have some more Colouring Book news to share with you soooooon!

Exciting talks with the publishers about the inky future!