Interview with Kimberly Brook Williamson, Coloring Book Artist

In case y'all haven't noticed, I love my people. That's why I felt a bit chagrined when I realized I have failed to introduce one who a) has been there for me forever and ever amen, and b) happens to be published! She has been my sidekick and instigator, my editor, my study partner, my co-worker, my roommate, and always my friend. This phenomenal woman is fiercely faithful, legit full of grit, and super talented. On that note, I introduce you to my dear friend Kimberly Brook Williamson.

Woman by Grace Interviews Kimberly Brook Williamson

WBG: Biography points I shouldn’t miss:

KBW: Lifelong resident of Arkansas, almost life-long friend of yours! I come from a long line of creative and musical people, and drawing makes me feel connected to them.

WBG: I have enjoyed your artwork for years. When did you decide to publish your doodles as a coloring book?

KBW: Thank you! I started publishing my doodles about 4 years ago, though I have been drawing for ages. I began drawing pretty regularly in around 2014. I have always doodled, and suddenly it became ‘my medium’ through an interesting series of events.

WBG: Where did you get the idea to compile your doodles into a coloring book?

KBW: I started posting my doodles to my Facebook page, and a lot of people said they were good.   The drawings kept coming, and I hated for them to just sit on a shelf in a book, when they could be shared with others who might appreciate the option of adding their own color. I love to color too, but I can draw a lot more places than I can color. Drawing is just a more portable and compact art form for me. 

WBG: Where do you find inspiration for your doodles?

KBW: Sometimes I just start drawing lines. Sometimes I fold the paper in random ways; sometimes measured and symmetrical. I might have an interestingly shaped item on my desk that I could trace that gives me a jumping-off point. I might get a prompt from a friend!  Some of my best work came about by request. :D

WBG: Are there hidden gems or themes in your doodles?

KBW: There are generally little gems that you might catch, and as far as themes, yes. I like to work with the elements. Fire, Water, Earth, Air. Sometimes North, South, East and West. Sometimes sun and moon. Sometimes I just put on an audio book and start drawing. I always have really interesting outcomes when I do that. For example: While listening to Harry Potter, I was just sort-of mindlessly drawing and suddenly realized that there were owl shapes in my piece. 

WBG: Do you color your doodles?

KBW: Yes. But I never color one before I scan a picture of it in black and white for a future book. It seems rude not to share :)

WBG: How many designs are featured in your coloring books?

KBW: There are usually around 40 drawings in each book, but I don’t have a set number.

WBG: What do you hope others get from your coloring books?

KBW: I want people to relax. This world is chaotic. It needs peace and color. Drawing is my therapy. If someone else finds a benefit to adding color, then it can be their Color Therapy.

WBG: Are there other places people can find your art?

KBW: Actually yes :) I painted a couple of quilt squares during this year for the Arkansas Quilt Trail.  You can find a link to it online if you would like to drive around and see these squares in person (I think I saw some in Goshen on my last visit to your house!) And they will also be on the AQT website eventually. :) I love a good project, and anything I earn goes to support future artistic endeavors, basic needs, whatever happens to be most pressing at the time. :) 

Find this gem along the Arkansas Quilt Trail.

Arkansas Quilt Trail square by Kimberly Brook Williamson.

WBG: Is there anything else you would like to share with my readers?

KBW: I have some pretty significant mobility issues, and drawing is one of the things I can do when I can’t do much else. It helps keep my mind sharp and my heart soft; my troubles dull and my purpose clear.

WBG: Do you like to drink coffee or tea while you create?

KBW: I do like a good cuppa. Either will do! Coffee with cream and Tea with honey!

WBG: What other creative outlets do you enjoy?

KBW: I play the piano. I sing. I hum some sort of tune almost constantly. (sorry to those who tire of that! :p)I paint. I crochet. I write. My current writing project is a piece about my son Riley, who has some special needs of his own. I am up to his tenth year in the book, and he is currently 15. Every time I make a little progress in the book, he gets older! I imagine 10 is as good a place as any to stop. The entire book is a poem. I have been rhyming since I could write! If I ever wrap that up and get it published, maybe you can ask me about it. 

For now, it will have to suffice to say-that’s a tale for another day!

Thank you, Emily, for taking the time to do this. It means a lot to me to be able to share joy, especially in a world so easily darkened with fear and worry. I appreciate the opportunity to increase my reach. I just want to be a blessing, and want you to know that you are one! :)

Kimberly's coloring books make great gifts and are currently available on Amazon. Visit her author page here ✎ or click the images of her coloring books below to link directly to them. You can also find Kimberly online at the following social media links:

Blog * Facebook * Instagram * YouTube

Volume 1

 

Volume 2

Volume 3

Thank you, Kimberly, for taking the time to share your talents with my readers. And for the many years of friendship, both behind us and before us. May God continue to bless you and yours!

Book Review - To Dwell Among Cedars

Y'all know I can get misty eyed and a bit emotional over pretty much anything; I'm not going to deny it. However, there is a short list of books that actually hit so hard that I have to put them down, cry it out, and pick them back up again. Exceptionally well written biblical fiction does that to me. It happens when an author plucks facts from the Bible and weaves them carefully and prayerfully into a story so well written that I am carried into the events. It happens when the lightning strikes and I can feel it in my chest, when a tree is engulfed in flames and I can feel the heat, when guilt and shame reverberate in my own soul and when understanding, mercy, and grace are poured out so that I can feel them on my own head. All of these experiences accompanied my reading of To Dwell Among Cedars, the first book of The Covenant House series and latest release from Connilyn Cossette.

 Arisa and Lukio are just children when the Ark of the Covenant is hauled into their Philistine city of Ashdod and unceremoniously dumped at the feet of their patron god, Dagon. Arisa recognizes it as the subject of tales and songs long shared with them by their Hebrew slave, and faithfully heeds Azuvah's urgent pleading to follow the Ark, which the Philistines return to the Hebrew people when they realize it seems to have brought a curse upon them. Arisa's reverence for the Ark and its power lead her to a place of peace.

To Dwell Among Cedars is the kind of book I prefer to read in print so that I can easily highlight and reference quotes that really stick out for me. Here are a few of the many:

✐"My mother reached up to cup my cheeks in her palms, her diminutive size no match for the large heart that lived inside her chest." What a beautiful sentiment! Lord, may I be that kind of mother!

✐"You were there in that valley eight years ago. You know who protects the Ark." Praise the Lord! The One who protects the Ark also protects my loved ones!

✐"But you are not his God, Eliora. You cannot save him from himself. That task is Yahweh's alone." That's one to cling to when you're the kind of person who wants to fix everything for everyone. It's the kind of fish-slapping truth I need to be reminded of fairly often; can I get an "Amen!" there?

To Dwell Among Cedars is now available for purchase from your favorite bookseller. You can find it locally or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Christian Book.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.