Artist
Artist-in-Residence Debra Disman will lead a “Envelope Bookmaking” workshop!
Learn to create a book that can be sent through the mail…snail mail!
Create heartfelt gifts and cards, and develop your own content while learning new skills.
This workshop is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
In our recent program at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, participants created accordion fold (also known as “concertina”…continuing with the musical instrument metaphor-) books.
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, they added images of Latinx art and architecture, including murals, street art, works shown in museums, and storefronts.
Participants spanned young children to seniors, with everyone becoming immediately absorbed in creating their books, and developing them with varied fascinating and colorful images of works created by an integral population of Los Angeles past, present and future.
The Virgin of Guadalupe was an inspiration.
Mother and son work together.
Participants transformed images by adding to and subtracting from them, and putting them together in new ways.
The focus of all ages…
Makers often choose to work with colors that reflect the colors they are wearing!
Pink, never gets old.
This workshop was part of my Artist in Residency project: “We Write the Book“, supported by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles. Gratitudes!
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.
“We Right The Book” VI
I was honored to serve as Artist in Residence at Verdugo Hill High School in Tujunga, CA (Los Angeles) for a group of 41 Senior English class Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) students.
Our project , “We Right the Book” was supported by an Artist in Residence grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. I worked with the students on a series of bookmaking projects during weekly workshops held right in the classroom from September – December, 2017.
The students’ completed book works were exhibited at the Sunland-Tujunga Branch Library on December 13, 2017.
Accordion fold books, flag books, tunnel books, scrolls, and side bound books…the results were stunning.
Below is a digital tour through the show.
Each student’s works were displayed together, except the scrolls, which were hung on the walls.
Students created extraordinary Tunnel Books with whimsical, innovative and imaginative use of materials.
They made Flag Books…with “Found” (collected from existing print media) Writing.
and Accordion Fold Books…
with elaborate pop-ups.
The students completed their final projects for the class in their side bound books…the theme: IDENTITY…Who they are…Where they want to go…How they see themselves.
A Junior VAPA English student peruses the side bound books. She looked at each and every one.
I would love to work with her next year!
Fingers Crossed for next year’s Residency!
Thank you, LA DCA.
“We Right The Book” I
I am honored to serve as Artist in Residence at Verdugo Hill High School in Tujunga, CA (Los Angeles) for a group of 42 Senior English class Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) students.
Our project is entitled, “We Right the Book“, and is supported by an Artist in residence grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. I am working with the students on a series of bookmaking projects during weekly workshops held right in the classroom from September – December, 2017. The students are also assisting with bookmaking workshops held for the community at-large in the Sunland-Tujunga Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library.
The project is designed to offer participating students an outlet for feelings, thoughts, hopes and dreams related to their upcoming transition out of high school, and into the next epoch of their lives.
We started with the basics: Accordion Fold Books, created from folding equidistant sections of material. We used “bright tagboard” for the folded pages, and assorted posterboard and railroad board for the covers.
An industrious maker adds tiny butterflies to the cover of her book.
A writer!
Tiny pieces of text work together to form the title…the piece is held closed with hemp cord.
Choosing a length of cord to enhance book.
Angelica layers materials into her folded page.
We have a wonderful group of boys in the class…talented and detailed makers!
Two girls work together (upper left of image) making the most of materials, space and each other!
Working with letters, and seeing/absorbing their visual quality.
He is able to let others into his world through the book.
Paper world…
Our wonderful VAPA English classroom teacher, Amy Leserman.
Now that we have learned the basics of accordion folding, it is time to move into the fun and versatile Flag Book structure!
Stay tuned for “We Right The Book” II