Drawing on history and humor

Meet 33 amazing women in author, illustrator and PSU alumna Bridget Finnegan’s latest coloring book that combines art, humor and education.

Featuring intricate illustrations of women from history, pop culture, politics, the arts and more, 33 Amazing Women is aimed at all ages and skill levels; the goal is relaxation rather than frustration.

For Finnegan, choosing the women to highlight was a labor of love. “The women in this book are all amazing in their own way, and women I think the world should know about,” Finnegan says. “Learning about them and deciding who to include was as much fun for me as creating the illustrations. In fact, I now have a stack of books about them that I am devouring so I can continue to add more information to my website.”

Josephine Baker, who received the French Medal of Honor after working for the resistance during World War II, is one of Finnegan’s inspirations. She is featured in the book as well as Cleopatra, Marie Curie, Amy Winehouse and Margaret Mead.

“It was incredible to me how many women I was introduced to through this project or that I learned new things about,” said Finnegan, whose first coloring book, Animals, is a finalist for a Reader Views Literary Award.

When she’s not designing coloring books, Finnegan, an illustrator and designer, is the creative director at the University of New Hampshire.

For more, visit bridgetfinnegan.com. Both of Finnegan’s books are available on Amazon.com.