Living in Jacksonville, Oregon for 24 years gives me a special vision of the many facets of this historic community. Driving into town, a traffic sign reduces your speed from 45 mph to 25. You see the town in the distance as you put your foot on the brake and with a sigh you think, God's in his heaven, all's right with the world!
Coloring books have enjoyed a surge in popularity. It satisfies so many needs in the short term, is creative and maybe reduces the stresses of the day. When asked to create images of these precious buildings in our town, there was never a question. Approximately three months later I had 25 line drawings ready to color and quotes about history for the back of each image.
Then, a presentation in our local cemetery called Meet the Pioneers gave me more insight into the history of our town. In a special program, actors pick an historic resident or family buried in the Jacksonville Cemetery and in costume, do a short offering about their lives. I learned so much more, I added three new images.
I wanted to include all of Jacksonville's beautiful historic sites, but there were interferences: weather, cars blocking historic sites and beautiful shadows and greenery covering up certain buildings. Perhaps in Color Historic Jacksonville Book Two!
This is not my first coloring book. Years ago as a nurse in the Education Department of Rogue Valley Medical Center, I drew images of Boris the Bear to help children get through some of the procedures they endure in the hospital, and it has been a great success.
I think you will enjoy Color Historic Jacksonville. I recommend Prismacolor pencils and a limited palette: use a blue and a red to make purple, a blue and a yellow to make green and a red and a yellow to make orange. Lay down one of the colors and add the second color in another direction - the process I used on the cover.
Anne Brooke 2017
