Before I begin, I want to thank everyone who commented, and showed support, on yesterday's blog post. There is a writing competition, NaNoWriMo, that has a July "summer camp". The timing isn't the best due to a family situation, but I may see what happens if I put some of my thoughts down in a computer document, and participate in the "Camp". The confirmation of facts and possible blogging can come later, if I get that far. So, thank you again!!
Do you like to color? I do. But not all of us have the inclination to make drawings from scratch.
Back in the 1950's and 1960's, paint and color by number were popular with both children and adults. Yesterday, a blogger blogged about Adult Coloring Pages. Seems that coloring for adults is a relaxing hobby that has been rediscovered.
Many adults could use a form of relaxation. Our lives are hectic.
Adults can take art classes and learn how to draw. But for some of us, including me, it would be nice if we could buy a kit Something, perhaps, like a modern, updated version of something dear to those of us who grew up in the 1950's and 1960's.
The adult coloring blog post reminded me of one of my favorite blog posts of all time. I originally posted it in August of 2011 and it remains true today. Imagine - women are even forming coloring clubs (although, apparently, with freestyle coloring, not coloring kits). Here's how to form your own club.
Here's part of my post from 2011.
I loved Venus Paradise coloring sets,
Yesterday evening, the sky
reminded me of the sky of a color by number painting. All those shades
of blue and light purple. And, with that, I will repeat portions of my original 2011 post. Enjoy!
Do you remember color by number? It was popular in the 1950's
and early 1960's, when I was growing up. You can still find color by
number in paint today. But what my family loved was the Venus Paradise
sets. They were color pencil color by numbers. They had sets geared
to all ages - from children old enough to color to adults.
The pencils were numbered, and you got the pencils you needed for your
set with the set. My favorite was #7, Peacock Blue. You can even find
the list of colors online
(except for two "mystery colors"). It would seem that some older
artists miss them, too - they were high quality but as a child, I just
took them for granted.
My Dad and I would color together. I would have my child's set and he
an adult set. I remember one in particular, set with famous buildings.
I remember him in particular working on a Taj Mahal picture. I looked
at him color with great concentration. He put wax paper on top of the
part of the picture he had completed so it would not smear.
His picture had so much detail. You could barely make out some of the
numbers in the small portions. But I would grow up one day and be able
to do complicated pictures just like my Dad!
Except I lost interest, until my son was born.
I went to all the stores (when he was old enough to color) and no one
had them. In fact, I couldn't find any kind of color by number pencil
art set, period.
Venus Paradise is out of business. And, I couldn't even find a set on eBay (I did find a couple of auctions for the pencils.)
The good news is that there is a pencil color by number set
out there now. Better yet, the people who own the business remember
Venus Paradise. So perhaps a new generation of children will remember
pencil by number sets fondly.
In writing this post, I find my spouse remembers the sets too. He
thinks when he retires, it might be fun to buy one. But sadly, this is
something I'm not sure will ever return to favor for the general
population.
So....do you remember Venus Paradise?
Or, would you consider participating in a coloring club?
Showing posts with label Color by Number. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Color by Number. Show all posts
Friday, May 29, 2015
Friday, September 14, 2012
Best of AM - Memories of Paradise
Childhood memories....from August of 2011
Color By Number - Memories of Paradise
Do you remember color by number? It was really popular in the 1950's and early 1960's, when I was growing up. You can still find color by number in paint today. But what my family loved was the Venus Paradise sets. They were color pencil color by numbers. They had sets geared to all ages - from children old enough to color to adults.
The pencils were numbered, and you got the pencils you needed for your set with the set. My favorite was #7, Peacock Blue. You can even find the list of colors online (except for two "mystery colors"). It would seem that some older artists miss them, too - they were high quality but as a child, I just took them for granted.
My Dad and I would color together. I would have my child's set and he an adult set. I remember one in particular, set with famous buildings. I remember him in particular working on a Taj Mahal picture. I looked at him color with great concentration. He put wax paper on top of the part of the picture he had completed so it would not smear.
His picture had so much detail. You could barely make out some of the numbers in the small portions. But I would grow up one day and be able to do complicated pictures just like my Dad!
Except I lost interest, until my son was born.
I went to all the stores (when he was old enough to color) and no one had them. In fact, I couldn't find any kind of color by number pencil art set, period.
Venus Paradise is out of business. And, I couldn't even find a set on eBay (I did find a couple of auctions for the pencils.)
The good news is that there is a pencil color by number set out there now. Better yet, the people who own the business remember Venus Paradise. So perhaps a new generation of children will remember pencil by number sets fondly.
In writing this post, I find my spouse remembers the sets too. He thinks when he retires, it might be fun to buy one. But sadly, this is something I'm not sure will ever return to favor for the general population.
So....do you remember Venus Paradise?
Saturday, December 31, 2011
A Flood of Memories
For too many of us here in the United States, 2011 was the Year of the Bad Weather. From flooding to drought, millions of people suffered under the lash of Mother Nature, and millions more suffered in other countries. Especially Japan, where suffering will be long term.
For all of us, 2011 was the year we would rather forget.
Our relatively snowless winter doesn't begin to make up for our year of weather. In upstate NY, in Vermont, in New Jersey, in many other parts, flooding ruled.
One of my cousins was evacuated twice from his home on Long Island.
Irene and Lee did their work in upstate NY in August and early September. A good friend's mother lives near the village of Margaretville. She lives on a hill but the main village was hit by flash flooding. The CVS was destroyed. As of right now, they still don't have a supermarket and she (well, her caretakers as she can no longer drive) must travel 21 miles to the nearest supermarket. A Family Dollar (against zoning but the local officials thankfully have decided not to notiee) is selling basic food necessities.
A friend of mine visiting Prattsville (even more hard hit), where her mother had once lived, witnessed the damage and it was almost beyond belief. I even saw photos from that disaster in an English newspaper.
And as for us here in the Binghamton/Johnson City area, I've written about our flood over and over again. The flooding, the aftermath, in a neighborhood where I was one of the lucky ones (I didn't lose my home).
This is my neighborhood and the immediate area around it flooding. This photo, also near my house, may spell the end of 1300 jobs in my area.
That employer, BAE, left a parting gift: a diesel spill.
Now, FEMA is finally agreeing to a buyout but portions of my neighborhood are destroyed. Some other areas: Twin Orchards, the South Side of Binghamton, Owego. were hit even harder. And my story is just one of the millions of weather related stories this year.
Yes, all of us would just rather forget 2011.
Ring in the New Year! May 2012 be kinder to our world.
For all of us, 2011 was the year we would rather forget.
Our relatively snowless winter doesn't begin to make up for our year of weather. In upstate NY, in Vermont, in New Jersey, in many other parts, flooding ruled.
One of my cousins was evacuated twice from his home on Long Island.
Irene and Lee did their work in upstate NY in August and early September. A good friend's mother lives near the village of Margaretville. She lives on a hill but the main village was hit by flash flooding. The CVS was destroyed. As of right now, they still don't have a supermarket and she (well, her caretakers as she can no longer drive) must travel 21 miles to the nearest supermarket. A Family Dollar (against zoning but the local officials thankfully have decided not to notiee) is selling basic food necessities.
A friend of mine visiting Prattsville (even more hard hit), where her mother had once lived, witnessed the damage and it was almost beyond belief. I even saw photos from that disaster in an English newspaper.
And as for us here in the Binghamton/Johnson City area, I've written about our flood over and over again. The flooding, the aftermath, in a neighborhood where I was one of the lucky ones (I didn't lose my home).
This is my neighborhood and the immediate area around it flooding. This photo, also near my house, may spell the end of 1300 jobs in my area.
That employer, BAE, left a parting gift: a diesel spill.
Now, FEMA is finally agreeing to a buyout but portions of my neighborhood are destroyed. Some other areas: Twin Orchards, the South Side of Binghamton, Owego. were hit even harder. And my story is just one of the millions of weather related stories this year.
Yes, all of us would just rather forget 2011.
Ring in the New Year! May 2012 be kinder to our world.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Color By Number - Memories of Paradise
Yesterday evening, coming home from my water aerobics class, the sky reminded me of the sky of a color by number painting. All those shades of blue and light purple.
Do you remember color by number? It was really popular in the 1950's and early 1960's, when I was growing up. You can still find color by number in paint today. But what my family loved was the Venus Paradise sets. They were color pencil color by numbers. They had sets geared to all ages - from children old enough to color to adults.
The pencils were numbered, and you got the pencils you needed for your set with the set. My favorite was #7, Peacock Blue. You can even find the list of colors online (except for two "mystery colors"). It would seem that some older artists miss them, too - they were high quality but as a child, I just took them for granted.
My Dad and I would color together. I would have my child's set and he an adult set. I remember one in particular, set with famous buildings. I remember him in particular working on a Taj Mahal picture. I looked at him color with great concentration. He put wax paper on top of the part of the picture he had completed so it would not smear.
His picture had so much detail. You could barely make out some of the numbers in the small portions. But I would grow up one day and be able to do complicated pictures just like my Dad!
Except I lost interest, until my son was born.
I went to all the stores (when he was old enough to color) and no one had them. In fact, I couldn't find any kind of color by number pencil art set, period.
Venus Paradise is out of business. And, I couldn't even find a set on eBay (I did find a couple of auctions for the pencils.)
The good news is that there is a pencil color by number set out there now. Better yet, the people who own the business remember Venus Paradise. So perhaps a new generation of children will remember pencil by number sets fondly.
In writing this post, I find my spouse remembers the sets too. He thinks when he retires, it might be fun to buy one. But sadly, this is something I'm not sure will ever return to favor for the general population.
So....do you remember Venus Paradise?
Do you remember color by number? It was really popular in the 1950's and early 1960's, when I was growing up. You can still find color by number in paint today. But what my family loved was the Venus Paradise sets. They were color pencil color by numbers. They had sets geared to all ages - from children old enough to color to adults.
The pencils were numbered, and you got the pencils you needed for your set with the set. My favorite was #7, Peacock Blue. You can even find the list of colors online (except for two "mystery colors"). It would seem that some older artists miss them, too - they were high quality but as a child, I just took them for granted.
My Dad and I would color together. I would have my child's set and he an adult set. I remember one in particular, set with famous buildings. I remember him in particular working on a Taj Mahal picture. I looked at him color with great concentration. He put wax paper on top of the part of the picture he had completed so it would not smear.
His picture had so much detail. You could barely make out some of the numbers in the small portions. But I would grow up one day and be able to do complicated pictures just like my Dad!
Except I lost interest, until my son was born.
I went to all the stores (when he was old enough to color) and no one had them. In fact, I couldn't find any kind of color by number pencil art set, period.
Venus Paradise is out of business. And, I couldn't even find a set on eBay (I did find a couple of auctions for the pencils.)
The good news is that there is a pencil color by number set out there now. Better yet, the people who own the business remember Venus Paradise. So perhaps a new generation of children will remember pencil by number sets fondly.
In writing this post, I find my spouse remembers the sets too. He thinks when he retires, it might be fun to buy one. But sadly, this is something I'm not sure will ever return to favor for the general population.
So....do you remember Venus Paradise?
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