Coloring Books

Holy Blue CanNoli! (Nudi Gill Updates)

| Bonnie Kelso

I want to start this post with an apology. My last post was in February and a TON has happened since then. I admit that I have not been very good at keeping readers informed on what has been happening with Nudi Gill. Here’s the condensed (but still exciting) update:

  1. THE BOOK IS OUT! Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea is now available where books are sold! Woo-hoo!
  2. Nudi Gill the Card Game Crowdfundr event is now live! You can reserve your copy of this limited edition deck and be a part of supporting the first ever card game all about marine mollusks. Check it out!
  3. Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea has been selected as the “Great Reads from Great Places” children’s book to represent Nevada at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, August 12th at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. This is a huge honor, and I’m so excited to participate. If you’re in the DC area that weekend, stop by and say, “Hi!”
  4. I have a fun line up of library visits scheduled for the Southern Nevada region. Keep reading for dates and locations.
  5. Nudi Gill has been getting a lot of positive feedback and I’ve even started receiving some fan art. This makes me extra happy. So, please send me yours! You can email it to me at artistbkelso@gmail.com and I will post it on my website in a special place of honor.
  6. There’s a companion coloring book available based on the blog post series, Nudi Gill Pin-Ups! Fans of the series (and quirky coloring books) will definitely want to pick up a copy of Nudi Gill Pin-Ups! The Coloring Book: Nifty Nudibranchs and Other Sassy Sea Slugs.

Whew! Now I feel so much better. Thank you for your patience.

Now… THE GLORIOUS DETAILS!

Nudi Gill the Card Game:

I designed this colorful and funny card game with the whole family in mind. It’s easy to play and a great way to learn more about nudibranchs and other marine mollusks.

I hope you will support my project so that I can have these cards printed and distributed to all the nudibranch enthusiasts out there.

Check out my Crowdfundr page to learn more about the project and reserve your limited edition copy before they’re gone. You also have the option to gift a deck to a local Las Vegas Elementary School.

NUDI GILL Summer 2023 Library Visits:

Nudi Gill Pin-Ups! The Coloring Book:

Nifty Nudibranchs and Other Sassy Sea Slugs:

Along with the release of my book, I created this companion coloring book based on my blog post series.

Nudi Gill Pin-Ups! The Coloring Book: Nifty Nudibranchs and Other Sassy Sea Slugs.

The 32-page coloring book is hosted by Gill, but focuses more on other nudibranch and sea slug species. You can learn interesting facts about them and their scientific names.

Of course, in true Nudi Gill fashion, it is also peppered with jokes and quirky personalities. 

Oh, and you won’t want to miss that centerfold spread featuring Gill in all his glory.

Wishing you a super summer,

Bonnie

Bonnie Kelso writes and illustrates books for children and adults that encourage individualism and brave self-expression. She facilitates art workshops for her local community and beyond. Her debut picture book, NUDI GILL, released April 4, 2023. A lover of nature and travel, she often wanders about outside with her family whenever an excellent opportunity to do so presents itself.

Decide

| Bonnie Kelso

Since the lock-down began, I’ve suddenly had a lot less time to work on my projects. The funny thing is… I’ve somehow managed to still find time to work on my projects! I’ve had to make a lot of tough choices in order to stay productive. It’s heart-breaking work to have to say ‘no’ to comfortable routines and people we care about, but it helps you to understand in your heart what you need to continue saying yes to, no matter what. The world is changing on micro and macro levels all at once. Even when things “go back to normal” we’re only kidding ourselves if we believe that anything will ever be like it was. I’ve been learning important things about myself during these past few months. Like the other day when a distracted driver almost ran me over in the crosswalk. I learned two things in that one moment. #1, I learned that my crisis response is to freeze, not fight or flight. #2, I learned that I had been taking for granted that a few lines drawn on the street could grant me safety. They don’t. In these times we have to be extra vigilant. We have to observe. We have to look both ways, again and again, even when the lights are green and the little walkie man is flashing. It’s okay to freeze, but at some point we need to start moving again. But when we do, we have to remember that the world has changed, that we have all changed. There will be some things we will miss. But there will be other things that we can rebuild to be better than they were. We have to decide to hold on to that hope.

Bonnie
©Bonnie Kelso and Creating Your Experience

For a limited time I have reduced the price of my coloring books to $7.99. Enjoy!

Check out this new 100 Day Project on Instagram: #TinyLifeLines2020

A Gift of Healing

| Bonnie Kelso

For the remainder of the year I will be offering “Graceful Transformation: A Healing Coloring Journey” at a discounted price. This interactive coloring book for adults was developed from a creativity workshop with participants in addiction recovery. It was our collective intention that this book would be used to help others heal from past trauma and pain through mindful creating.

©Bonnie Kelso and Creating Your ExperienceWhether you are in recovery from substances or behavioral addictions, the themes presented in this book will provide you with a helpful exploration of your feelings. Each page asks you to Continue reading →

What does anger feel like?

| Bonnie Kelso

Red hot? Lava-like? Thorny, like a ball covered in spikes?

StarburstSM

I’ve been asking this question a lot lately, trying to get to the root of it. Anger is like a star. It sits in your tummy and when everything is going okay, you don’t even notice it. But as soon as you perceive a threat, the star begins to change. The shifts may begin in a subtle way. A strange poking here and there caused by the points of the star. If it is not addressed, it will begin to dig harder, like a thorn in the skin. Everything you do, every interaction you have, it’s there, just under the surface, waiting to Continue reading →

Creating Your Coloring Book

©Bonnie Kelso and Creating Your Experience
| Bonnie Kelso

I’m not going to lie to you. I have a natural repulsion to Adult Coloring Books. This is precisely why I chose to create one. I wanted to truly come to terms with why I didn’t like them by creating one that I could love.

Top 3 reasons I don’t like Adult Coloring Books:

  1. They do not engage your creative mind.
  2. They do not encourage you to think outside the box (or even color outside the lines).
  3. They waste your precious creating time.

This is what I see when I watch people coloring: They are focused on staying in the lines. They suffer over the decisions of which space should be colored which color. They are obsessed with Continue reading →