Book Structures

In Resonant Residence (11)

May 1, 2018 By Debra Disman

March 22, 2018

In Resonant Residence (11)

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 tenth workshop, March 17, 2018: Accordion Fold Book + Pockets, found participants folding, cutting and collaging, using a myriad of materials,

including drawing papers, decorative papers, ribbon, maps, washi tape, hole punchers, and more.

“Thank you” ribbons flow from a maker’s “twin” books, made for her grandchildren.

Hearts, and a muted but warm color scheme complete the feeling.

Pockets allow room for secrets, notes, treasures and surprises.

This maker used patterned paper to powerful effect.

The structure has a simple elegance when treated in a streamlined way.

Two ways of handling pattern.

In an exciting turn, this maker brought in collages she had made while visiting her sister, and made them the theme and focus of her book,

adding ribbons that punctuated the patterns created by her artistry.

A deeply gratifying experience indeed.

For all involved…

In Resonant Residence (10)

March 22, 2018 By Debra Disman

In Resonant Residence (10)

I formally began Studio Residency at the Camera Obscura Art Lab

in Santa Monica Wednesday January 10th. I share the sunlit space, located within the 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.

Eighth and Ninth Workshops, March 3/10 2018: Working on “The Big Beach Book“, participants collaged, stenciled, stamped, drew and painted on its multitude of people-sized ever evolving surfaces surfaces….

Re-purposing maps, book pages, and even glass bottles to create new stamps…our imaginative workshop participants are creatives extraordinaire.

Just FYI, the flip flops are glued to the surface, and have stayed there…making their way across the proverbial “book beach”!

In Resonant Residence (9)

March 22, 2018 By Debra Disman

In Resonant Residence (9)

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.

Altering book pages…creating “black-out poetry” and “found writing”…creating books, large and small…

847.866.8173

In Resonant Residence (8)

February 26, 2018 By Debra Disman

In Resonant Residence (8)

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.

Sixth and Seventh Workshops, February 17/24, 2018: Working on “The Big Beach Book“, participants stenciled, stamped, drew and painted on its multitude of people-sized ever evolving surfaces surfaces….

A young woman who came to the Beach with her family took brushes and acrylic paints, and created this “goddess of the sea” (?!?) covering the top half of one of The Big Beach Book pages….finishing it off with proud signature. others then stepped in and added the sailboat, and fishes swimming below. Who knows how this page will develop over the coming weeks…

A trio of friends worked together on the Book’s front cover, using stencils to outline the shapes of the fish, which they then painted in brilliantly. They were invited to return this coming Saturday to further develop their artwork, and they said they would. Fingers crossed…

A recent arrival to LA visited the the Art Lab with her companion, and elegantly painted a panel of the Book’s accordion spine with stencils and hand-painted arrows…a lovely addition and gift.

Feel the love….