Debra Disman

Artist

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Children Making Books

BOYS MAKING BOOKS!

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I was thrilled to teach “Make Your Own Books” through the City of Santa Monica’s CREST Enrichment program during January and February 2023!
I had a fantastic class of all boys who worked together beautifully, learned enthusiastically, and displayed great creativity and passion for their book projects!

Here is what one Mom said of her son’s experience with bookmaking:

“Owen is so sad he will be missing the last class this week as we are out of town.   I wanted to share how much this class has changed Owen.  He is obsessed with making books now and holds his own comic book club…daily…with his Dad and I. He carries them everywhere.  He shows everyone.”

This was thrilling for me to hear…it is what a teaching artist lives for!

Below are they boys in action during our after-school program:

     

Fairy Tales…Make Your Own Books

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It was a gift to be able to work with students every day for five weeks this past summer, and introduce them to the book arts as well as other media. As a teaching artist, we often only see students once a week, so to be able to watch them learn and grow on a daily basis was a thrill!


Surrounded by scads of art supplies, tools and materials, 5-6 year old students in our “Fairy Tales” and “Make Your own Books” classes had an ideal situation for creating!


This outstandingly creative young student in “Make Your Own Books” certainly did just that, using her flag book to try out all kinds of drawing and painting media while exploring color, shape, line and texture.


Each flag page held a different combination of media, including acrylic and watercolor paints, pastels, crayons and markers.


Students created books large and small, including tiny ones that would fit in a (albeit rather large) matchbox!


Mixed media reigned supreme, such as combining letter stickers with markers and paint pens.


Oops! Markers on the project, not on your fingers!


Making and embellishing file folder portfolios was our first project. Some students created so many books they made a second portfolio to hold them!

A brilliantly bookish and imaginatively magical time was had by all!
Goodbye summer program, until next year!

Children Create Unique Handmade Books

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It was a gift to be able to work with students every day for five weeks this past summer, and introduce them to the book arts as well as other media. As a teaching artist, we often only see students once a week, so to be able to watch them learn and grow on a daily basis was a thrill!

In our “Creating Unique Handmade Books” class, students aged 6-8 learned and created a variety of book structures while exploring all sorts of materials. They learned about folding, gluing, sewing, and book structures including accordion, single signature, flag book, and side binding.

At the end of our time together, parents were invited to celebrate their bookish achievements, and a good time was had by all!


We used a wide variety of materials to create our books, including all sorts of papers, ribbon, stickers, washi tapes, feathers, glues, drawing and writing tools and more!


The accordion or concertina fold is primary in many bookmaking structures. Students learned this process then applied it to several projects.


Our wonderful TA wrote personal notes to all the students!


Single signature (a gathering of pages sewn together through the fold) structures were fun for the students to create, because they looked to them like “real” books.


We invited families to join us the second to last day of class to see all the students had created.


This student adores pattern and collage and had an impressive array of books featuring these by the end of our class session.


Mother and daughter peruse her handmade books together.


A young student shines as she shares her accordion-folded and flag books with her parents.


Sharing books with Dad…this student created so many books he made a second portfolio to hold them all!

It was hard to say goodbye after such storied adventures this summer, but it is my hope that these students will continue to exercise their imaginations as they make books and develop their skills and creativity.
They are well on their way!

Bookmaking Workshop at the Silverlake Independent JCC

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Flag Bookmaking Workshop held for 5th graders on the theme of Shalom Bayit – Peace of the Home, as part of The Art of Ethics theme at the Silverlake Independent JCC.

While traditionally described as matrimonial harmony, we’re expanding the theme of Shalom Bayit to include sibling harmony and all those in our homes.

This workshop is for those children enrolled in the weekly Sunday class, and is  part of the SLIJCC Visiting Educator Artist program.

Family Bookmaking Workshops at LACMA

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Family Bookmaking Workshops at LACMA

A series of one day Family Bookmaking Workshops at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art!
Join us 10AM – 1PM Saturdays, July 21, 28, August 4, 11 and 18.

Learn how to create fun book structures including The Flag Book, The Folded Fan Book, The Accordion Fold/Concertina Book, and The Tunnel Book.

Each project will include an exploration of a special artwork at the Museum which relates to our bookmaking project for that workshop.

All materials included.

 

 

 

enRICHment IV

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enRICHment IV

Kindergartners have a blast making their own books in  Santa Monica’s CREST Enrichment program which provides a variety of after school classes in Santa Monica Public Schools.


Which is more adorable, the book, or the dimple?!


What will happen with “The Three Kittens”?


The smile is the winner, and this little maker is a wonderful writer and visual artist too!


Peruse, cut, paste…


Draw draw draw…one of our most immediate visual art forms…make your Mark!


Industrious and serious writers.


What shall I choose?


Combining the visual and the written…


Kindergartners learning to write, and spell. Impressive.


They create the pages, they fill the pages.


Working with accordion fold / concertina books.


Influencing each others work?!


“Folded Fan Book”: accordion fold spine, with covers and pages attached.


Layering texture, shape and color.


Robert helps us out. Thank you, Robert of the CREST Enrichment program Staff!


An elaborate fairy tale…involving a path, a house, and fairies.


Working side by side, two creative solitudes in community.


This maker has a fascination and love of Mythology…and the Greek gods.


Checking out each others’ work. And each other.


The magic of Washi Tape!


One of our student’s Dads, a fun-loving dentist, joined us for this class…and made his own book


Students thrive in a supportive environment filled with materials, laughter, learning, and patient adults.

We were so fortunate during this class to have both CREST Enrichment program Staff Diana and Michelle be with us, as well as our dentist Dad, and a CREST  staff trainee. The students really felt the support!

To. Be. Continued. It is the Story that never ends…Creative Expression.
Let’s keep starting the process young!