The success of Bible Society New Zealand’s recently released Big Little Bible app and book has been largely credited to Catholic illustrator Meesh Holswich who played a significant part in its creation.
Meesh’s art style means the pencil never leaves the page and actually dovetails in with the overall message of the Bible. “One line, one thread, from the beginning of the Bible until the end, it’s all one story.
Each illustration is made with one continuous line, which then joins with the next illustration, and the next, representing the one story than runs through the Bible from beginning to end,” she explained.
For the Wellington illustrator and mum, the project is a dream come true. “God gave me the heart to draw and I have been drawing non-stop since I was a child.”
Meesh’s passion for illustrating goes back to her childhood love for the Bible. “The Bible is a precious gift that gives us insight into the great story of God’s love revealed throughout time.
Reading Bible stories shows us how other people, just like us, live out their lives in faith, sometimes in failure, and the wondrous things that happen when we follow God.
“Drawing Bible stories brought me back to when, as a child, I used to wonder at the beautiful illustrations in Bible story books. Remembering those days helped me think of how I wanted to illustrate each story,” she said.
The Big Little Bible App and now hardcover book has been designed to help parents engage their children with the Bible.
Aimed at 8-10 year olds, The Big Little Bible includes 30 Bible stories taken straight from the Contemporary English Version translation and seeks to bridge the gap from paraphrased Bible stories to independent real text Bible reading.
It features 100 of Meesh’s illustrations using a unique ‘one line’ art technique called contour drawing. To date, there have been more than 800 downloads of the free app in New Zealand.
Following the app’s success, Bible Society published The Big Little Bible in a hardback format and will give away 2,000 copies to families that may not be able to afford one. The book is also available for purchase.
The Big Little Bible book is $19.99 and can be ordered directly from Bible Society via email orders@biblesociety.org.nz or by phoning 0800 0800 424 253. The mobile app is free to download on the Apple and Google Play stores.
Source
Supplied