Lost Ocean - Johanna Basford

Okay, I admit it - when I first heard about adult colouring books, I was skeptical. Could sitting down to colour be enjoyable? Relaxing? Dare I say - stress relieving? And then I tried it - and the answer is yes to all of the above.

Johanna Basford has a number of adult colouring books out - all quite amazing. I thought I would dive (pun intended!) into Lost Ocean: An Inky Adventure and Colouring Book.

I liked the gold accents on the cover - it hints at treasure within. (I'm a magpie - anything shiny catches my eye!)

Now, are you one of those people who will start at the beginning and do all the pages in order? Or are you like me - I'll pick the one that appeals to me and start with it, choosing another as the mood strikes. Lost Ocean offers a wide range of choices from intricate, to simple. Basford has touched on all things oceanic from images of creatures of the deep - fish, octopuses, mermaids, lobsters, crabs to sunken galleons and their treasures, whimsical designs and more. The last picture is a double sided four page foldout - okay I am indeed saving that one 'til last. Every page from cover to copyright page has images to bring colour to.

And then there's the added fun of trying to also find hidden images in the drawings - diamonds, rings, keys, gold coins and others. (No worries - there's an answer key at the back!)

Lost Ocean is produced on nice, clean, crisp white stock - all your colour choices will show up true. I thought I would start with imagining some brightly coloured fish under the waves.

Remember - there's no 'right' way to colour - enjoy it! Have you tried adult colouring books yet? Lost Ocean would be a good one to get your feet wet! (pun intended!)