Albany, NY
Teaching
Artists: Carol
Parenzan Smalley and Frances Heaney
Residency Location: Five
Rivers Environmental Center
Arts Focus: Literary and Visual Arts
Program Title: "Creating a Living History
Book"
(Carol Parenzan Smalley and Frances
Heaney)
During this program,
Big Brothers Big Sisters child/adult mentor-matches
(Littles and Bigs) learned formal illustration
techniques specific to making picture books, including
the role of a writer and illustrator, different
approaches to writing a story, and how life experiences
of the writer can influence writing. Each mentor-match
created a living history book in which they paralleled
their lives with that of a living thing, either
an animal or plant.
Significant
personal dates and world events were documented
by creating "Person Timelines" on rolls
of paper.
Story-writing techniques were explored more indirectly
through games and brainstorming activities. One
team activity included the "A-Z Word Brainstorm"
in which mentor-matches selected an animal, and
letter by letter thought of a word that described
the animal's personality and/or physical characteristics.
Mentor-matches
took a closer look at illustration techniques,
including paper (pop-up) engineering.
During
the residency mentor-matches examined picture
books, specifically how they are constructed,
and learned illustration terms and techniques
(two-page spreads, first sentences, movement on
the pages from left to right, and creating suspense
to cause page turning).
The adult mentors participated in every aspect
of the project. They brainstormed ideas and explored
visual art making techniques with their Littles.
Mentor-matches created a 16 page "dummy book",
where personal timelines, flowed stories, author
notes for future reference, and super-imposed
images were added.
Through participating in this project program
members learned about illustration and discovered
information about themselves and one another.
Learn more about Big Brothers Big
Sisters of the Capital Region by clicking here!
