Smiles 4 Miles is a graffiti and street art inspired colouring book. From across the World artists have come together to contribute their work to include in the book. Now, with all the art sorted, the Kickstarter looks to raise enough cash to print the book themselves and to become a more sustainable venture. Money raised will also go to the Tea Pot Trust which is the charity the artists wanted to support.
This will actually be the second edition of the book. The first launched in 2016 with the intention of printing enough to give to children in refugee camps. Just an idea at the time, a stall at Upfest in Bristol revealed the popularity of the idea. Over 100 copies sold within the first hour showing that street art and graffiti inspired artwork in colouring books was a hit.
Smiles 4 Miles Colouring Book
The choice of charity for the second edition has been chosen by the artists themselves. The work that made it into the book has also been voted for by the public. Alongside each artwork individual artists have also included a written message. These include poetry, art tips, funny stories and words of encouragement. One of the main ideas for the books is that children will be inspired by the art and the artists themselves.
Pixie is the artist behind Smiles 4 Miles. Well known on the London graffiti scene she also works with children running art workshops. Passionate about children’s mental health, the choice of the Tea Pot Trust as a charity is ideal. The charity supports young people with mental health conditions to gain access to art therapy. Pixie says that this is something that she and the other artists feel strongly about. “It will keep us driven and wanting to sell these books” she says. “Because the more we sell, the more we can give to the charity”.
The Smiles 4 Miles Kickstarter campaign aims to raise money through the selling of giclee prints, pre-orders of the book itself and original artworks. In total over 51 graffiti and street artists have taken part with their work in the book. The campaign launches on 6 April 2021 and finishes on 4 May 2021. Profits from the sale of of the colouring books will go to the Tea Pot Trust.
Smiles 4 Miles Artwork
As part of a public vote ten top artworks were chosen. The theme was ‘A Brighter World’ and many artists submitted works to be included. The list features work from across the street art and graffiti scene. Jelly J’s ‘Be Kind’ angel came out on top. We’ve featured all those artworks alongside some quotes from the artists themselves. All of these artworks as well as others from the book are available as prints as part of the kickstarter.
Jelly
Describing the piece Jelly said “I represented this as an ethereal fairy character which had featured previously in my street art. She is sat on a rainbow of hope and brighter days ahead, juxaposed to the phrase ‘Be Kind’ in graffiti. I truly believe ‘Be Kind’ is the most important social skill we can teach children. It encourages empathy and hopefully the confidence to call out inequality when they see it, which surely leads to a better world and future for all”. Check out Jelly’s work here.
Gem Doodle
“I wanted to create a colouring page that included a space for the kids to add a bit of themselves to. That was important so I added the blank space so they can add thier name to the page. I really wanted to create lots of area to colour so the colouring wouldn’t be over too quickly. My little message B DOPE. be cool, be kind , be yourself, you can do this….be dope x”. Check out Gem Doodle’s work here.
Many Faces
“One of my favourite things to do is to do drawings for my 6 year old niece for her to colour in. I think having a creative outlet from an early age is hugely important and the idea of being able to contribute to this for hundreds of kids all over the world just filed me with joy”. Take a look at Many Faces work here.
Ski
“I drew a caricature of my (and my boyfriend’s) dog Patchy Boii. He had to go for his big forever sleep just a month before lockdown due to aggressive cancer. So when I saw the theme was “a better world”, I thought; what would make my world better? And the answer was obviously to have my best friend back. Everyone was desperately missing their best friends and their families, and probably still are. Having our best friends close enough to hold and hang onto makes all our worlds a better place?”
Flying Fortress
“Being locked down with two little toddlers was kind of tuff. But as most projects were cancelled I used that time to run on my personal art projects. I also did a lot of free works for social projects like puzzle designs and coloring book pages to give a bit of positivity to people while killing time at home. Also I had a good feedback on my free “Postcards From Quarantine“ project. I sent out more than 400 hand drawn postcards all over the world just for the Karma. That is also why I jumped on the ‘Smiles4miles’ coloring book project. Joining in on projects with some free art of mine to support people’s positive projects”. – Have a look at Flying Fortress’s work here.
Chock aka Panda Jams
“I love drawing birds and plants and like to paint ones that are native to the area I am in. Seeing as this book will raise money for a UK charity I thought I’d draw the awesome puffin. One of the nicest beaks in the UK that’s for sure!” – Discover more art from Chock here.
Matt Dosa
“I wrote the word ‘smile‘, because to me that’s what the book’s all about (it’s in the name right!?). In times like these, people might need to be reminded how important it is to smile. I then surrounded it with a weird cityscape, because I like drawing weird stuff and I thought an image with lots of little parts would be fun to colour in!” – Check out more from Matt Dosa here.
Luna
“My illustration is about connecting with people and mental health. A lot of my work is based on hair and organic forms, so I used the flowing locks to reflect connectivity. There have been times during lockdown when I’ve felt isolated, so staying connected is really important”. – Discover more from Luna here.
Tizer
“It was what was in my mind at the time, all of my artwork is spontaneous. I have always been involved in charitable organisations, I feel I am able to help people with the skills I have taught myself since I was a child. Through art therapy or teaching art can bring joy to all ages”. Have a look at more from Tizer here.
Remser
“I just did one of my characters and tried to tone it down a little as they usually look quite dark. I think I gave him some super kool shades and a pot of pens and markers”. Learn more about Remser here.
