Deirdre Dixon

Deirdre Dixon, illustrator of Zen Coloring Book

Help our followers get to know you. What does a typical day in the life of Dee Dixon involve?
I am a stay at home mom to 3 active kids, so my day starts with herding them to get dressed and off to school on time.  The relatively quiet hours while they are at school are a flurry of errands and housework, with some crafting thrown in.  I try to spend some time every day drawing or coloring.  I am active in several facebook coloring groups, and try to alternate cdoloring my own designs and those of other artists.  I especially like coloring and sharing designs by self-published artists.

When did you first become interested in illustrating?
I have always enjoyed drawing and graphic design.  In the spring, I was chaperoning a Girl Scout camping trip and started doodling mandalas to keep my sanity!  I printed them out into a booklet on Etsy, and then after interest from Claire and others, refined the images and self-published a big coloring book on Amazon.

What are your favourite things to draw?
My style is cartoony and symmetrical.  So far my published art has been all mandalas and other circular patterns.  I particularly like the ones that have elements of nature like leaves, flowers, and animals, which are not found in traditional mandalas.

Where do you find inspiration?
I like to make variations on a theme.  I made a set of mandalas based on trees and flowers, finding different shapes of leaves.  Next, I’ll probably draw more animal based mandalas.

If you weren't an illustrator what would you be?
I enjoy many different types of crafts.  My business is called Crafty Dee, and I like to joke that it’s actually Crafty ADDee.  I have made wireworked jewelry, succulent gardens, hardwood cutting boards, coloring pages, and most recently, fabric crafts.  My dream job would be to get paid to flit from one craft to another, and not need to worry about making money from it.

Why do you think adult colouring books have become so huge?
I think many adults never stopped enjoying coloring, and it becoming trendy let them get back into it without feeling sheepish.  It’s something that doesn’t require your full attention span, so it combines nicely with other activities (but is not as daunting as knitting or crocheting).  It is very soothing to do something mildly repetitive, to lose yourself in the process of coloring.  It’s also accessible, letting people create art even if they would never consider themselves artists.

What does your working environment look like?
I draw many of the mandalas on the computer, and I actually like to have my computer desk clutter free.  I sketch out ideas on tracing paper attached to a clipboard, sitting on the couch or on the go.  Then I scan in the sketches and recreate them electronically. 
 I have a crate of coloring supplies, coloring books, and printouts that I can carry from room to room or with me on a road trip.

Do you listen to music when you work? If so, who/what?
I have “watched” 9 seasons of Supernatural on Netflix, mostly listening to it while I draw or color.  When the kids are home and awake I sometimes draw or color while talking with them about their homework or day, etc.

What are your favourite things in life?
I love creating art and sharing it with the world.  I love being a mom and helping my children grow to be kind, responsible, and creative.  I love sharing the happy little things in every day.

Finally, please give 3 words that describe your work.
Whimsical, relaxing, accessible.

You can find Deirdre's book over on Amazon.