Books, bugs and creative freedom
by Christi Marsico
Two sisters have found the freedom to be creative in their own way, which has deepened their friendship and also fostered their imaginations.
When Rachel Mullen, 11, and her big sister Sheridan, 13, were asked to help create bugs for Natrona County Public Library's summer reading program, "Catch the Reading Bug," they were thrilled.
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Using pipe cleaners, Styrofoam, paint and google eyes, the sisters constructed spiders, dragon flies, bumble bees, lady bugs and worms coming out of apples.
"We just added personality to the bugs," Sheridan said.
They have been giving character to projects for quite some time.
Sheridan's school project -- a five-foot Quetzalcoatl, a mythical creature -- found a permanent home in her Spanish class at Centennial Junior High.
A volcano, also kept by the teacher, and a story cereal box are just a few other projects where the teen has let her imagination take over.
Rachel is a confirmed bookmaker who lets her love for bright colors and designs harmonize while inventing new ways to create books from cover to cover.
This past spring, Rachel participated in Casper College's Key Camp, noting she was "the fastest in the class" when it came to constructing books.
Rachel made accordion books, secret pocket books, matchbook notebooks and even a book with the spine formed from barbecue skewers while at camp.
She fills her creative leaflets with pictures and notes. Rachel was delighted to create a pop-up birthday card for her father.
Being an artist runs in the Mullen family. The girls’ grandfather and father are artists, which may account for Sheridan's avid desire to draw.
Sheridan enjoys illustrating objects into animated characters, especially dragons. She finds numerous ways to integrate designs into the picture at hand.
"I like to create my own things in my own way," Sheridan said.
While the sisters have ventured into their own imaginative outlets, they also enjoy combining artistic visions as a duo.
Working together on the bugs for the library, the Mullens noted that they have endeavored on other projects together, such as making jewelry.
In describing each other, Rachel said her older sister as creative and interested in hair dos and make-up, even giving her little sister a "mean make-over" once.
"She's really nice and will do what I want to do," Rachel said.
Sheridan points out that her younger sister can be creative in her own way and very silly at times. Her favorite thing about Rachel is how original she can be with bookmaking and her generosity.
In addition to making books, they also like to read them. Sheridan is reading "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke, and Rachel is checking out Nancy Drew's "Secret of Shadow Ranch."
These young artists have found freedom to do what they wanted when it came to creating bugs for the library and many other projects.
They also have cultivated a bond that supersedes their projects in the innermost way: the art of friendship.