Colour Jordan Beautiful

By Rawd Halawani

Photography by Anastasia Casey

Lucy Roman’s diverse cultural background (she’s a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is of Puerto Rican heritage) is reflected in her art.

It is Jordan, the place she has called home for the past 14 years with her husband and their two children, that inspired her latest project: Colour Jordan Beautiful.

“There is so much beauty surrounding us in Jordan, from the beautiful carpets and artwork to the traditional decorations on display across the country during Ramadan and Christmas,” she says in an interview at her art studio.

The beauty that is Jordan and her disappointment at the lack of colouring books that represent the country sprung her into action; to create a colouring book for all ages with localised images.

The illustrations mirror “something you have seen, tasted, experienced or will come across in Jordan,” notes Lucy, who recalls distinct memories of visiting Jordan for the first time and being welcomed with a cup of fresh mint tea and traditional sweet.

Noticing that colouring books also enhanced her students’ visualisation of images they wished to sketch, further encouraged her to create the hard back colouring book.

Colouring books are not just for kids!

Colour Jordan Beautiful is for people between the ages of seven to 100 years. It has been scientifically proven that colouring reduces anxiety, so this book would be good therapy for those of us who need to unwind!

“I avoided including complicated and overly detailed drawings,” explains Lucy, who wanted to create sketches that are “simple enough for a child to paint yet challenging enough for an adult”.

Lucy’s colouring book provides colouring tips and the paper used allows for the use of watercolour, paint, gel-markers and pencils.

More than art

Lucy has brought Colour Jordan Beautiful to art classes and mainstream classrooms across the Kingdom, connecting it to any curriculum or theme about Jordan. She also hopes that her project will inspire people to pursue their dreams. She credits her students for her evolution as an artist as well as her personal growth.

If you’ve visited Lucy’s website or been to her studio, you’ll know that presentation is everything for this artist. So naturally, Colour Jordan Beautiful comes in a complementing gift bag, making it an attractive gift.

Colour Jordan Beautiful is currently sold at Lucy’s art studio. You’ll see it soon at local libraries, bookstores, hotels and speciality gift shops.