The Coolest Coloring Books For Grown-Ups, Part II. Twenty New Ones for 2011-2012.

One of my most popular posts was that of the 30 Coolest Coloring Books for Grown-Ups back in 2009, so it's time for an update. Since then there have been some fabulous additions to the category by everyone from luxury brands to well-known low-brow artists to individuals self-publishing their own unique coloring books.

Here are my picks for the coolest coloring books of 2011-2012 (some not even out yet but available for pre-order).

Color Ink Books by Brothers Washburn.



To start with, if you are not familiar with the fabulous DIY Periodicals, Color Ink Books by the Brothers Washburn, you've been missing out. Their motivation was to create a venue that would infuse the artists with the art enthusiasts. The publications are printed in black and white and give the readers the option to add their own color.



Each 8.5' x 11' 100 page volume features a who’s who of pop surrealists, lowbrow, avant garde, underground, graffiti, street and subversive artists as well as many up and comers.




Tara McPherson, Luke Cheh, Rob Reger, Steve Daily and Chris Ryniak are just a few of the participating artists. Shop for them here

Modern Art Coloring Books

Natural Wonders Coloring Book by Patrick Hruby:




A Coloring Book: Drawings by Andy Warhol
Created especially for clients' children for Christmas in 1961, this coloring book has just been reissued.



Andy Warhol Coloring Book by Prestel:



MoMA Color Play Coloring Book:



Alexander Girard Coloring Book:



Graff color workbook by Scape Martinez and Graffiti Coloring Book 3: International Styles by Björn Almqvist (Author):



In Between The Lines Coloring Books, Volume 2 and Volume 3 by Rx Art. Featuring line art by well known contemporary artists:




Buy them here

The ridiculously expensive Hermes Les 4 Mondes coloring book
12 pages with 24 designs for you to fill with color, measures 15" x 11", $135:



Buy it here

Funny, Edgy and Erotic Coloring Books

Fat Ladies in Space by Nicole Lorenz:



What Would Jesus Color? by Rose Kent


buy it here

An Erotic Adult Coloring Book (15 R-rated pen and ink drawings to color) by Erin K. Lenchner:



buy it here

The Mature Coloring Book by Dalit Salad:



buy it here

Fashionable Coloring Books

YSL Coloring Book:




My Wonderful World of Fashion and My Even More Wonderful World of Fashion by Nina Chakrabati:






The Fashion Coloring Book by Carol Chu and Lulu Chang (due out Mar 6, 2012):



See all of Amazon's Art Related Coloring Books

See the previous Top 30 coolest Coloring Books for Grown-Ups:

Suggestive & Sarcastic Christmas Ornaments by artist Jorge Julián Aristizábal.

Colombian Artist Jorge Julián Aristizábal of has created a set of four porcelain ornaments, CO4 NYC, especially for Artware Editions. The porcelain ornaments are printed with whimsical hand drawings which combine wit, sarcasm and sexual suggestion.




Each image is based on a traditional holiday image (a snow man, a Santa Claus hat, reindeer) and is printed on two sides, showing the edition information on the back.




Four porcelain ornaments
2 ¾” diameter each
Created in an edition of 100
Price for the set = $75.
Order them via email here.

Modern Wood Christmas Tree By Architect Makes A Smart and Stylish Alternative - PossibiliTree.

Richard Babcock, the father of Pat Babcock Sorensen, was an architect who built furniture in his spare time. Tired of finding, hauling, displaying, watering and disposing of the bulky, needle-dropping, space-guzzling evergreen every Christmas, he came up with a simple and non-messy alternative to real Christmas trees.

He designed two wooden trees - a life-size version that stands at 6 feet and suspends from the ceiling with a thin wire and a 3 foot tabletop version which uses a base stand for support. Both were designed to be easy to set up, take down and store compactly, making the trees are a smart and stylish alternative.

   

 above: Dick Babcock with his suspended 6ft Cherry tree in 1994

Prompted by recognition (In 2002, the suspended tree placed as a finalist in the national Hammacher Schlemmer Search for Invention® contest), and the Babcock family's long-standing affection for the trees, Pat speculated that others would value them as well. So, they patented the design and formed a business and the PossibiliTree was born.

   
above: Pat Babcock Sorenson, right, and and her business partner Nadja Reubenova, left. (image by Tom Wallace for the Star Tribune)

They produce a limited number of 6ft suspended trees and 3ft table top models in Walnut wood, Cherry wood or Birch wood (the tabletop version in Walnut is already sold out for 2011). The trees are manufactured in the US and use reclaimed or “deadfall” wood whenever possible. Some examples of the trees from previous customers:

  

above two images by Tom Wallace for the Star Tribune

Their appearance harkens back to mid-century modern design and they look as great bare as they do adorned so you can keep them up all year round. 6 foot suspended tree



 A favorite of architects and designers, this tree is visually stunning and ethereal. An award-winning design, the 6ft suspended possibiliTree, with 10 rows of branches, shows off ornaments beautifully. Floating 18 inches above the floor, there is plenty of room underneath to place gifts. Comes pre-strung and rolled in a bundle. Simply unroll it, hang it, fan out the branches, and decorate. (Ceiling hook not included.)


Note: as of 12/04/11, there are 93 6ft suspended possibiliTrees available

 Height: 72" plus length of wire Weight: 13 lbs Diameter at Widest: 53" Compostion: Wood, .07 GA/125 lb Test Wire Comes With: Storage Box, Instructions Note: Requires 9' or higher ceiling 3 Foot tabletop tree



 Clean-lined, unfussy, practical. The 3ft Tabletop—only 28 inches at its widest—is made for smaller living spaces, but would look great as a second Christmas tree in the foyer or family room of a larger home. You can decorate this tree during the holidays and enjoy it for its artful simplicity, unadorned, throughout the year.

   

Note: The Walnut tabletop tree is sold out, but the Cherry wood and Birch versions are still available

Height: 35" Weight: 3.2 lbs. Diameter at Widest: 28" Compostion: Wood, Metal Rod Comes With: Cotton Bundle Cloth, Storage Tube, Instructions

Sadly, these trees are no longer in production. I own one and I love it and I'm so glad I was able to get it when I did.

Buy your PossibiliTrees here