I find that I can watch much more t.v. with hubby if I color. My choice to relax is reading but I am trying to spend more time with my Bob. With Netflix and coloring this seems to be working for now. My new book to color is Ugly Holiday Sweaters I can finish one an evening . The dementia is not going to go away I am just trying to learn to roll with it.
If you want to see quite a variety of coloring books, check out the Dover Publications; the coloring books range from simple for children to complex Art Nouveau (my favorite) Alphonse Mucha renditions for adults. Subjects include domestic, wild and Arctic animals, nature scenes, Victorian houses (gasp!!), many phases of history, aircraft, other modes of transportation, flowers, herbs, fairies and other subjects...literally a subject for every interest.
One of the design modules that I find very intriguing are the mandalas, especially the nature and holiday mandalas. They're very clever and diversified.
Coloring also is relaxing, very much so, especially if I spend time to try and shade rather than just coloring.
Why be difficult when with a little more effort you can be IMPOSSIBLE!
And it's been documented that art has therapeutic value. Sometime this year I watched a program on art therapy for people with dementia I believe the program was on PBS. It was fascinating to see how people gravitated toward and became immersed in the art experience.
In a conversation with other "Constant Readers" of Stephen King's works, I brought up that it would be great to have a Stephen King-based adult coloring book. Hundreds of people agreed, so I contacted his reps to see if it was possible to get permission to use the characters/locations in an adult coloring book. No go. :-( Oh well. Would have been fun to create one.
I think many people don't realize that there are colored pencil societies devoted to just these kinds of arts.
ukcps.cok/ukcps/gallery.php
Check out this member's gallery:
ukcps.co/members/bauduin_f/
Look at the alertness of the eyes in the larger cat in the first photo.
Or look at the cat at this member's gallery:
ukcps.co/members/garmashova_cawton/index.php
Check out the cottage in this member's gallery:
ukcps.co.uk/members/heilbronn_crown/
The study, time and effort spent to create lifelike cats as these artists have done is very complex, and requires a lot of skill and knowledge. I've tried it; it's not easy, especially to create the depth perception. 'Tis a whole new level of colored pencil activity.