Blog

enRICHment II

May 14, 2018 By Debra Disman

enRICHment II

Working in clay with Kindergartners…through Santa Monica’s CREST Enrichment program, at Santa Monica Public Schools…after school.

Students “gently pounded” out slabs (flat but not too thin pieces, in this case disks) of clay, and used them as surfaces upon which to create.

They drew into, wrote upon, incised, built onto and punctured the clay to create faces and designs.
Pencils, paper rolls, wooden sticks and of course hands, became their tools of engagement.

The clay is magical earth, which rocks and rolls, and finds expression, or gives it, to the young makers.

enRICHment I

May 14, 2018 By Debra Disman

enRICHment I

Working in clay with first to fifth graders…through Santa Monica’s CREST Enrichment program, at Santa Monica Public Schools…after school.

We started with pinch pots.

and then moved on to coil pots, using small balls of clay to roll the coils,

and spiral them into the bottom of the pot.

Some chose to smooth out their coils, so that the beginning or bottom of their vessel looked like a slap, or flattened piece of clay upon which curving coil walls could be built.

As more coils were added and gently pinched together, the pots grew.

Focused work for busy hands.

Here a group at another school creates faces carved, incised or built upon slabs of clay “gently pounded” into flat slabs, a second experience with slab technique, now combining slabs and coils.

The clay, magical earth, which rocks and rolls, and finds expression, or gives it, to the young makers.

In Resonant Residence (14)

May 9, 2018 By Debra Disman

In Resonant Residence (14)

I formally began Studio Residency at the Camera Obscura Art Lab

in Santa Monica Wednesday January 10th, and completed it Saturday, April 21, 2018. I shared the sunlit space, located within a beautiful Mid-century building overlooking Palisades Park, Santa Monica Beach and the blue Pacific with textile artist and fellow Studio Artist-in-Residence Huong Nguyen.
“About the Art Lab and Camera Obscura

Step inside the Camera Obscura Art Lab and you’ll find a welcoming space with fantastic views of Santa Monica Bay and the Pier. The Camera is located in a midcentury time capsule in Palisades Park between Broadway and Santa Monica Blvd on what was once the site of the Pacific Electric Railway’s North Beach Station. Designed by noted architect Weldon J. Fulton (who’s work can be found around town including the classic Camera Obscura sign and font, the Montana and Fairview branch libraries, and the former Zucky’s building on Wilshire Blvd), the building’s exterior features walls clad in chunky Palos Verdes stone, glass walls, sloping roofs, and projecting canopies and rafter beams. It was donated to the City of Santa Monica by Marcellus Joslyn in 1955.”

The huge studio windows look out on palms, walkways and a huge assortment of passers by, strollers, park wanderers and beach combers. The Studio is a magical place to work.

My thirteenth workshop, April 7, 2018, Creating Sculptural Books offered participants an opportunity to walk a bit on the wilder side, and create something new while learning some skills in the process.

We began by constructing what I call the “fan book” structure…an accordion folded spine, with front and back covers, and pages added to the same side of each fold.

It is a version of the flag book, invented by renowned book artist Hedi Kyle, but employs full-sized pages that fan out from the spine in the same direction, rather then the zig zig alternating pattern of the endlessly inventive flag book.

Then folks added to that structure, used it as a jumping off point if you will.

Others focused more specifically on embellishment…this was the way “in” for them.

Book artist Rachel Curry made a big “traditional” flag book, and adorned it with patterns using paint pens.

Step-by-step into new territory, in a safe space.

Ingredients for discovery.

In Resonant Residence (13)

May 9, 2018 By Debra Disman

In Resonant Residence (13)

I formally began Studio Residency at the Camera Obscura Art Lab

Step inside the Camera Obscura Art Lab and you’ll find a welcoming space with fantastic views of Santa Monica Bay and the Pier. The Camera is located in a midcentury time capsule in Palisades Park between Broadway and Santa Monica Blvd on what was once the site of the Pacific Electric Railway’s North Beach Station. Designed by noted architect Weldon J. Fulton (who’s work can be found around town including the classic Camera Obscura sign and font, the Montana and Fairview branch libraries, and the former Zucky’s building on Wilshire Blvd), the building’s exterior features walls clad in chunky Palos Verdes stone, glass walls, sloping roofs, and projecting canopies and rafter beams. It was donated to the City of Santa Monica by Marcellus Joslyn in 1955.”

The huge studio windows look out on palms, walkways and a huge assortment of passers by, strollers, park wanderers and beach combers. The Studio is a magical place to work.

My twelfth workshop, March 24 2018: Double Flower Fold Book had participants folding forms and attaching them into a chain that folded up into a book that could nestle in your hand. But..when it opened…well, you can see what another name for this structure is “Exploding Book”!

The all-important process of choosing materials!

Folding repeating forms,

and slipping one into the next to create a chain.

Then come the covers…

and their content.

A line-up of family, working together, but on their own things.

Opening up to color.

Her own thing; a little “suit coat’ charmer that opens up into something deeper.

Cool colors, taking her cue form the sea and sky outside?

Development and embellishment and

delight…

It is the journey. I am so glad to have taken it with them, and You.

LACMA LOVE: We Make Books

May 3, 2018 By Debra Disman

LACMA LOVE: We Make Books

At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), families made books together.

This past March and April, we gathered together and learned how to create the Accordion or Concertina Fold, Folded Fan and Tunnel Book structures.

And we had FUN!

Learning to fold the accordion book. There is a step by step process!

Then comes the reward…embellishment!

This young maker know exactly what she wants.

Using decorative papers galore, textures, colors, patterns and shapes are explored and employed.

Pink and blue…must be Spring.

A large group convened to create the “folded fan” book, a version of the flag book, with full-sized pages attached to just one side of the accordion-folded book spine.

Parents had the opportunity to create alongside their children, and also do their own thing.

Makers used stickers, origami papers, washi tapes, magazines and more to dive into the meaning and content of their books.

Bookmaking can engage all kinds of skills, such as writing (and the requisite spelling and grammar),

intricate cutting,

and gluing.

Making books can be the ultimate mixed media experience. Fabric, string, feathers, and just about anything can get into the act, serving at the behest of the maker, and adding layers of meaning.

In Resonant Residence (12)

May 2, 2018 By Debra Disman

In Resonant Residence (12)

I formally began Studio Residency at the Camera Obscura Art Lab

Step inside the Camera Obscura Art Lab and you’ll find a welcoming space with fantastic views of Santa Monica Bay and the Pier. The Camera is located in a midcentury time capsule in Palisades Park between Broadway and Santa Monica Blvd on what was once the site of the Pacific Electric Railway’s North Beach Station. Designed by noted architect Weldon J. Fulton (who’s work can be found around town including the classic Camera Obscura sign and font, the Montana and Fairview branch libraries, and the former Zucky’s building on Wilshire Blvd), the building’s exterior features walls clad in chunky Palos Verdes stone, glass walls, sloping roofs, and projecting canopies and rafter beams. It was donated to the City of Santa Monica by Marcellus Joslyn in 1955.”

The huge studio windows look out on palms, walkways and a huge assortment of passers by, strollers, park wanderers and beach combers. The Studio is a magical place to work.

My 14th Workshop April 21, 2018: “Jam out on the Big Beach Book with Debra Disman” was a meaningful round-up of Residency activities, both workshops and magical making time in the glass-walled Studio…working on The Big Beach Book…

Before “residing” at 1450…The Beach Book was “The Sheltering Book”…and had nothing on it’s pages save color, texture and borders.

The community turned out, and dove into the project, adding paint, stamping, stenciling, collage, printing, altered book pages, maps, beach glass and more to the Book’s surfaces.

The original diamonds were enhanced by the addition of blue and green beach glass, and a tiny scrap from my studio-mate Huong‘s Shibori on Paper workshop.

During our “New Works” show, visitors used paint pens to create colorful works right on the paper-covered tables. I cut these out, and added them to the Book.

Paint color samples, salvaged from my life as an architectural color consultant, proved to be a fun addition.

The sun stencil was perfect for our Beach theme…and was used in different ways on the Book.

A bold young maker painted the big flower onto one of The Book’s surfaces, and a stenciled sun was layered over it.

This young maker was headed back to the Bay Area with her family, and they stopped at the Camera Obscura on a whim. happily, they investigated the Art lab, and joined us in adding to The Big Beach Book.

A fitting message. So glad you stopped by Nikki!

Traversing the back cover of The Book.

Sunhat, shells, funky glasses…the accoutrements of the Beach.

Adding to the back cover…

Participants used the fish stencils to great advantage, and used The Book as a place to share thoughts, wishes, ideas and dreams.

Surprise flowers from family…golden!

Stenciled and collaged fish swim in schools and circles. participants created bubbles using a the top of a jar to print acrylic paint with, and sea flora using translucent beads.

During our “Altered Pages” workshop, participants combined book pages with black-out technique, glitter, paint chip samples and other collage materials to create fresh juxtapositions and poetic musings.

Book pages, maps, maps on maps, stencils and ribbon add layers of texture, design and meaning.

Our fearless leader, City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Supervisor, and creator of the Art Lab and the Residency program, Naomi, begins to ready the Studio for the new Artists-in-Residence, “moving in” the following week.

One last turn around the Studio, and the Big Beach Book,

before it goes into its last incarnation (that I will have a hand in, anyway…)

with a few elements saved for posterity…for the moment anyway…

What. A. Sublime. Experience.
Gratitudes.