BATH TOWNSHIP: Put down the Candy Crush.
Back away from the jigsaw puzzle.
Give the crosswords a break.
An increasing number of adults with time to kill and a need to unwind are turning to coloring books.
Don’t think Bugs Bunny or Spider-Man with bulky wax crayons.
We’re talking complex patterns, designs and images needing the finesse of fine-tipped colored pencils, coloring pens and brush markers.
The trend was on full display Saturday afternoon, when dozens of folks stopped in at Barnes & Noble in Montrose as part of the chain’s nationwide coloring event.
Customers were invited to help themselves to free samples of pages and sit at tables stocked with an assortment of coloring media.
When former art teacher Karen Halpern heard about the special event, she volunteered to help manage it.
“I used to do this before it was trendy,” said Halpern, who retired five years ago from Lippman School in Akron.
She always knew the value of coloring as a way to relax. In middle school, she encouraged students to relieve stress on testing days with some easy artwork.
She said her daughter picked up on the notion, talking stressed-out students in her college dorm into joining her on the floor to color a Wonder Woman coloring book.
The options are much more sophisticated now, though colorists can be as simple as they want or try their hand at complex blending.
“Several people can color the same design and it won’t look the same way twice,” Halpern said.
Terri Claybourne, 57, and her 29-year-old daughter Carol Claybourne, both of Akron, first heard about adult coloring books last month and immediately purchased some.
In addition to enjoying the creativity, Terri Claybourne said it helps loosen up her arthritic hands.
After the two women read about the Barnes & Noble event in the newspaper, they wanted to reassure themselves they were not alone in their new passion.
“We were like, let’s go and see how many people actually like these,” Carol Claybourne said with a laugh, pausing from coloring a collage of Paris icons.
She was surrounded by the answer. As she spoke, a mom and two teen daughters from Wadsworth took the last three available seats.
Michelle Leatherman, 38, talked 14-year-old Emily and 16-year-old Ashley into joining her.
“I thought it would be a nice bonding experience,” she said. “It sounded like something fun for us to do.”
Emily is a natural artist — probably why she selected a stenciled portrait of Van Gogh off the sample table — but said she appreciates being able to focus on color since the drawing is already done.
Her sister is not an artist, but quickly felt the Zen benefits of bringing a black and white outline to vivid, colorful life.
“I need to start doing this,” Ashley commented to her mom and sister.
Valorie Peters, 71, a retired teacher from Vienna, also loves to color, even if her middle-aged children don’t quite get it.
“When my kids see me doing this as a grandmother, as a great grandmother, they think I’m just doodling like the kids. That’s their interpretation,” she said. “But it’s very relaxing.”
Customers were also invited to color a piece of art that could become part of a digital mosaic being composed by artist Millie Marotta, creator of the international best-selling Animal Kingdom and Tropical World coloring books.
They could also personalize a selection of greeting cards and envelopes from Hallmark and share their creations on social media with the #BNColoringContest hashtag for a chance to win a one-year’s supply of Hallmark cards.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @paulaschleis.