Artist
A group of makers from Tierra Del Sol visited the Sunland-Tujunga Library, and participated in a flag bookmaking workshop as part of my artist residency there, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
It was an honor to work with these participants!
Continuing my 2019-20 Artist Residency at the Sunland-Tujunga Library, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, I led a Bookmaking program, for teens, the winning, fun, wild and versatile Flag Book!
In addition to teens, families attended as well, and learned to fold an accordion spine, attach covers to it, and add the flag pages to create a pattern that created all kinds of options for text and visuals.
Color choices are one of the first ways the young makers express themselves.
Students from the nearby Verdugo Hills High School shared that the artmaking was a welcome break from academic pressures.
Great use of magazine text and letters.
Celebrating “STEAM VHHS” (STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking, VHHS is Verdugo Hills High School).
So glad the Arts are in there! All of these disciplines must work together if we are to move ahead in this World!
A workshop designed for teens turned into a family and community affair, at the Granada Hills Branch Library.
As part of my Artist Residency at the Library, supported by the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, we held a Flag Bookmaking program with a Manga comics theme. In addition to teens, families and makers of all ages attended, creating wild and wonderful “Manga” Flag Books!
Father and son work closely together, collaborating on a radiant red book.
This brilliant young maker was amused to realize that he was using the same colors in his very cool book as he was wearing!
Sister and brother work side by side. Getting along…in the moment of making.
This wonderful woman has a attended numerous workshops, and is becoming quite the bookmaker!
Three unrelated generations of makers, working together in an atmosphere of collective creativity.
A mother with her two daughters takes advantage of Library offerings.
Makers’ hands.
A measured smile from a teen assistant and maker…using color to tell as story in her book.
Using the popularity of Manga and the arresting structure of the flag book as a means of engagement, participants worked together as a community on their individual projects, learning, enjoying and sharing all at the same time.
Does it get any better than that?
To kick off my 2019-20 Artist Residency at the Granada Hills Public Library, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, I led a bookmaking program in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, where participants learned to make their own photo album.
Participants bound together a single signature (gathering of folded pages) into a binding composed of a tag board sheet folded both horizontally (to create a pocket on either side) and vertically (to create the body of the cover structure and hold the signature), then added stiffer more durable boards on either side to strengthen the covers. They sewed the components together using the pamphlet stitch and ribbon, using enough ribbon so that the ends would be long enough to tie the book closed if they wished.
Mothers and daughter created side by side and shared their work.
As did Mothers and sons,
and the whole family!
Our teen helpers got into the act too…..
and had a blast…
Pride of Book!
To kick off my 2019-20 Artist Residency at the Sunland-Tujunga Library, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, I led a Children’s Bookmaking program, where participants and their families learned the art of “Folded Fan Books”.
The folded fan book is comprised of an accordion spine, two covers and pages glued onto one side of each fold of the spine, to create a fanning out effect when the book is opened.
Over twenty participants joined us: children with parents, siblings and friends, supported by a library volunteer and the stupendous Sunland Tujunga Children’s Librarian, Kirsten, or “Ms. K”, as she is affectionately called.
Children enjoyed writing in and illustrating their books, whether in known or created language.
We were thrilled to see that hardworking parents got into into the act too, and enjoyed some creative time. It is common for makers to use the same or similar colors to what they are wearing.
Mothers and daughters worked side by side.
Creativity is a dish beautifully served up in community…
It has been exciting to lead programs at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, as part of my Artist in Residency there: “We Write the Book“, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, participants created multi-dimensional “Tunnel Books“, theatre-like structures comprised of a backdrop attached to an accordion-folded “spine” on either side.
Makers then added their own “cross-pieces” , cutting out strips in the shapes of mountains and more, and attaching them to the spines so that they traversed the width of the book, creating a place to add figures and other images to create their unfolding story, tableau or diorama.
As usual, attendees wowed with their use of color, shape and materials, imagination and creativity!
It is a materials world.
Families work together.
Attention to detail.
Making is an active sport.
Careful cutting.
Focus.
Sketching out the concept.
Use of feathers animate the image.
Majestic purple…
Showing off the completed book!
Creating a beautiful place to be.
Was this maker hungary? He created an ice-cream shop…
Fun use of materials.
Brilliant colors, black framing and carefully chosen use of select materials make this piece a stunner.
If you are in the area, join us for a Winter Community Celebration at the Granada Hills Branch Library on December 19th from 1:30 – 5PM.
There will be “Envelope Bookmaking”, refreshments, sharing of works, and lots of fun!
