Adults embrace inner youth with sophisticated colouring books
WILL BAZAN, CONTRIBUTOR

Susan Algie, director of the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation, shows off the recently released adult colouring book, Colour Your City. THE PROJECTOR/ Will Bazan
Brooke McDermid, a nursing student at RRC, said she likes to relax from the stress of school by having girls’ nights with her friends. It gives her an event to look forward to after a long week, where she can socialize outside of school.
This week, they might be buying pencil crayons.
Adult colouring books are the trendy new option for students looking for a new activity to relax. Adult colouring books range widely in content from highly stylized dreamscape scenes to repetitive patterns.
McDermid said she also looks for new ways to combine spending time with her boyfriend Ashton, and relaxing.

Colour Your City features drawings of Winnipeg architecture including the Royal Canadian Mint and the Bank of Toronto. Robyn Shesterniak was commissioned to draw the pictures. THE PROJECTOR/Will Bazan
“Sometimes my boyfriend and I have paint nights and we just go get some stuff from Dollarama,” she said. “I’d love to try adult colouring books.”
The Winnipeg Architecture Foundation’s (WAF) book, Colour Your City, is a locally produced adult colouring book. Released earlier this month, the book features original artwork mostly done by Robyn Shesterniak of Burdocks Design with contributions from other artists of the WAF. Colour Your City showcases some of Winnipeg’s great standout buildings, ranging from the Winnipeg Art Gallery to the Thunderbird House.
Susan Algie, director of the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation said Colour Your City has had a great response so far. Algie said the WAF received orders online from Ontario, Alberta and even California.
Algie said the main motivation for the book was for people to learn more about Winnipeg architecture and have fun. She said she hopes that those who purchase the book will check out the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation’s website where they have a catalogue of more than 2,400 Winnipeg buildings.
The WAF previously released a children’s activity guide based on the Exchange District and thought a colouring book would be a great way to generate interest in local architecture for enthusiasts of all ages.
Algie says the main motivation for the book was for people to learn more about Winnipeg architecture and have fun. She hopes that those who purchase the book will check out the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation’s website, winnipegarchitecture.ca, where they have a catalogue of more than 2,400 Winnipeg buildings.