Debra Disman

Artist

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Teaching Artist

Be The Change Book Festival: Bookmaking Workshops I

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I was thrilled to offer three FREE bookmaking workshops for Be the Change Book Festival – Be the Change Series on Saturday February 25th,2023!!!

Make Your Own Books with Debra Disman – Bookmaker and ReflectSpace Gallery exhibiting artist
Participants learned how to create fun and fabulous handmade books using folding, cutting and gluing techniques.

as part of:

Be the Change Book Festival – Be the Change Series

Saturday, February 25: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Glendale Central Library

Please enjoy more of this event!
A devoted Dad!
Tween Time 1
Tween Time 2
Dynamic Duo Mom and Daughter
Be The Change Compilation

ALSO!
I have a solo show in ReflectSpace Gallery:

I Can’t I Won’t I Will I Do Exhibition by Debra Disman – ReflectSpace Gallery

 Glendale Central Library
Glendale Library Arts and Culture

Flag Bookmaking at the Silverlake Independent JCC

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It was a pleasure to teach a hands-on FLAG BOOKmaking workshop for fifth-graders at the Silverlake Independent JCC, my fifth year doing so! (Or is it my 6th?!)
The fifth-graders were receptive, energetic and creative!

     

Picasso-Inspired Shape Shifting

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In our “Making Art Inspired by Great Artists” CREST Enrichment class,
Students in grades TK- 5th are inspired by Pablo Picasso…learning about Cubism, creating and exploring shapes through line, color and collage, and creating their own Picasso-inspired portraits!

For a different take and to enhance their experience of color relationships and expression, we used black paper as a background!
Students drew their portraits, used colored pencils and crayons to identify and add shapes, and finally cut and added more shapes out of colored paper, taking care not to obscure what they had already done!


Adding a crown


Using a loose line to add color


Abstract and Representational takes on the project


“Hear Me Roar…”


Framing…adding a border



Self-portrait?


Strong, clear shapes

Creativity abounds with these kindergarteners through fifth-graders.
Each created their own vision through the project, as they will continue to do through their lives.

Up the Down Road of Surrealism with Dali!

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In our “Making Art Inspired by Great Artists” CREST Enrichment class,
students are inspired by the Surealist Artist Salvador Dalí!

Students in grades TK- 5th learned about Surrealism, and how to use perspective, scale,
horizon lines and vanishing points to show space and distance, then developed their compositions into surrealistic scenes adding images from magazines to create focal points and a sense of layering.

Creativity abounds with these kindergarteners through fifth-graders!
Each travelled their own road through the project, as they will continue to do in Life.

         

Keeping the Faith…Making Art Inspired by Great Artist Faith Ringgold

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I am thrilled to be teaching MAKING ART INSPIRED BY GREAT ARTISTS  at Franklin and Roosevelt Schools in the Santa Monica Public School System through the CREST Enrichment program.

After a span of two years, teaching live and in-person is exciting and energizing. The students are enthusiastic, helpful and creative and IMAGINATIVE and the parents and staff supportive and engaged.

Everyone is working together to make in-person teaching a safe and rewarding experience. Despite the challenges and great energy required, what fun to see these young artists exercise their imaginations, play, learn and create!

Students responded positively to our “Story Quilt” project, inspired by the Great Artist, Faith Ringgold.
Put cloth in their hands, and away they go!
Students draw an idea for their fabric “story, then begin working on felt with cloth pieces that are glued into place.


Imaginative use of the materials is the intuitive order of the day.


The stories begin to emerge.


Joyous play and exploration of fabrics, cloth scrap and tactile textiles!

 

Teaching Artistry Live and In-Person!

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Even in these times, it is wonderful to get back to live, in-person teaching!

Teaching classes outside at Santa Monica Public Schools, through the CREST Enrichment program, after a span of two years, is exciting and energizing. The students are enthusiastic, helpful and creative, the parents and staff supportive and engaged.

Everyone is working together to make in-person teaching a safe and rewarding experience.

I am teaching MAKING ART INSPIRED BY GREAT Artists at Franklin and Roosevelt Schools in the afternoon, and MAKE YOUR OWN BOOKS! at ROOSEVELT SCHOOL first thing in the morning. Despite the challenges and great energy required, what fun to see these young artists exercise their imaginations, play, learn and create!


Students work outdoors to create personal frames for their  Frida Kahlo-inspired self-portrait projects.


How they design the frames may communicate as much about them as their self-portraits inside them will.


Even the backpacks are works of art!

In our MAKE YOUR OWN BOOKS! class students learn the accordion fold book structure,

and begin developing their books with visual art and writing right away!

It is fantastic, watching the masterpieces unfold!