Page 6 - CB-Floral

Soothe Your Stress

in a Magical Victorian Garden!

F
or centuries, we’ve turned to flowers and gardens as a source of peace, harmony and
tranquility – and as a place to soothe our cares and calm our stress. Today, we find much
of that same peace and tranquility in the world of coloring books. The very act of sitting
back, choosing to relax, and spending quality time creating something beautiful seems to ease
the tension of today’s hyper-stressful lifestyle.
Ironically, Victorian artists would have understood this perfectly. They, too, loved flowers,
and sought to work floral themes into nearly every aspect of their world. The images that you’ll
find in this volume were used in Victorian architecture, wall-papers, fabrics and even floor
coverings! Victorians loved their gardens, and did their best to bring the healing properties of
those gardens indoors.
Most of the designs in this book stem from the Arts and Crafts movement, which emerged as
a counter to the stifling influences of the Industrial Age. As more and more Victorians were
engulfed by factories and mechanization, Arts and Crafts artists emphasized the importance of
beauty and the work of the hands – a concept that will surely resonate with today’s colorists!
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Victorian artists turned to a wide range of sources to create their 19 -century floral fantasies.
One source, of course, was nature itself, and you’ll find plenty of designs in this collection that
are inspired by real-world flowers. You’ll also find Victorian patterns based on floral designs of
the ancient world – designs from Assyria, Egypt, Greece and Persia. Whatever their source of
inspiration, however, you’ll find that the artists of the Victorian Arts and Crafts movement
always managed to put their own unique spin on their designs!
And now it’s your turn to put your unique, personal spin on these timeless patterns. Come,
take a stroll in this garden of Victorian floral fantasies – and make it your own!

—Moira Allen, Editor
Maryland, 2018