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Debra Disman

Artist

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CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

Celebrating Día de Muertos with Papel Picado!

October 29, 2021 By Debra Disman

In celebration of  Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), I led a bookmaking workshop that featured Papel Picado (The art and craft of decorative cut paper) as part of my artist residency in bookmaking  at the the Panorama City Branch Library, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Participants learned the Accordion Fold  technique, and used it to create 11″ high  Accordion Fold Books.

They then created simple Papel Picado  designs, exploring paper cutting techniques using tissue paper sheets, and added these  colorful (or black-) works to our books in various ways.

All of the techniques and materials demonstrated online, through Zoom.

The participants were adventurous, good-humored, and supportive of each other as they moved through the process, and created the  beautiful works pictured below.

BRAVO!

This is truly teaching artistry, and learning,  for the 21st Century!

 


Using the simplest techniques, participants used color and cutting to create wondrous designs, which they layered onto to and into their Accordion Fold Books.


Paper cutting using the thin sheets of tissue paper can be demanding under the best of circumstances,. I marveled at what our participants were able to accomplish guided by an online workshop!


Here, black tissue paper is employed to magical and mysterious effect.


Participants also used origami paper to create their Papel Picado designs.


Participants joined the workshop from Arizona, Montreal, and across Los Angeles County, some with grandchildren, demonstrating the potential of the internet and its global reach.


Photographing through a computer screen can be challenging, but the brilliance of these colors and repeated cut-out designs cannot be denied!

Filed Under: Artists' Books, BOOKS, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: "We Write The Book", Accordion Binding, Accordion Book, Accordion Fold, Accordion Fold Book, AIR Program, All purpose book!, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Bookmaking online, Books made by Hand, Branch Libraries, CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, Día de Muertos, Fall Holidays, Handmade Books, LA Department of Cultural Affairs, LAPL, latin American Folk Arts, Library Programs, Los Angeles Public Library System, Make Your Own Journal, Making Art through Zoom, Mexican Folk Arts, Online Art programs, Online Art Workshops, Online Bookmaking Programs, Online bookmaking workshops, Online Library Programs, Panorama City Branch Library, Papel Picado, paper Cits, Paper Cutting, Paper Engineering, The Art of paper Cutting, Zoom

CULMINATING OUR ARTIST RESIDENCY: Panorama City Branch Library

May 12, 2021 By Debra Disman

My 2020-21 artist residency supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs at the Panorama City Branch Library has drawn to a close!

We had wonderful CULMINATION event of  bookmaking, sharing, art and poetry to celebrate our Residency program, and honor National Poetry Month (April)!

Please see video slide show of the Residency projects,  during the CULMINATION event and online on the Panorama City Branch Library’s  Facebook and Instagram pages!


The wonderful Beth, Children’s Librarian and tech manager extraordinaire for our program!

FLAG BOOK FUN!

Placing the flag pages and setting up the structure… Far Out Tatiana’s Flip Book

Tatiana and her Flip Book!

Best Friends Forever!

Stickers galore! Sticker heaven PARACHUTE…hmmm…
Sneak peak of work surface while conducting the program!

Such a wonderful experience, and now, ever onwards to our Artist Residency of 2021-22!

Thank you to the LA DCA!!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, ARTISTS, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist, Work Tagged With: 'Writing Poetry, 2021, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Book as Art, CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, City of Los Angeles Public Library, Community Art programs, Creating books by hand, Culmination, Distance learning, Flag Book, Handmade Books, LAPL, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books By Hand, making books online, National Poetry Month, Online Bookmaking, Online bookmaking workshops, Panorama City Branch Library, Poetry, Poetry Books, Reading Poetry, Slide Show, Zoom, Zoom art workshops, Zoom classes

CULMINATING OUR ARTIST RESIDENCY: West Valley Regional Branch Library

May 10, 2021 By Debra Disman

My 2020-21 artist residency supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs at the West Valley Regional Branch Library has drawn to a close!

We had wonderful CULMINATION event of  bookmaking, sharing, art and poetry to celebrate our Residency program, and honor National Poetry Month (April)!
Please see video slide show of the Residency projects,  during the CULMINATION event and online on the West Valley Regional Branch Library‘s Facebook and Instagram pages!


Librarian Daryl shares a poem by Theodora Goss.

FLAG BOOK FUN!

Mothers and Daughters

Such a wonderful experience, and now, ever onwards to our Artist Residency of 2021-22!

Thank you to the LA DCA!!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist, Work Tagged With: 'Writing Poetry, 2021, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency, Artist residency Culmination Event, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Book as Art, CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, City of Los Angeles Public Library, Community Art programs, Creating books by hand, Culmination, Distance learning, Flag Book, Handmade Books, LAPL, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books By Hand, making books online, National Poetry Month, Online Bookmaking, Online bookmaking workshops, Poetry, Poetry Books, Rreading Poetry, Slide Show, Theodora Goss, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Zoom, Zoom art workshops, Zoom classes

Artist in Residence 2020-21 CULMINATIONS!

April 6, 2021 By Debra Disman

My 2020-21 artist residencies supported by the wonderful City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs at both the West Valley Regional Branch Library, and the Panorama City Branch Library, are drawing to a close!

Join us online for two wonderful CULMINATION events (linked to the Library Branch names above), which involve bookmaking, sharing, art and poetry, to celebrate our Residency program, and honor National Poetry Month (April)!

Please see video slide shows below of the Residency projects, which will be shared during the CULMINATION events; and online on the Social Media pages of each Library.  Please enjoy these presentations and contact the Library/Libraries to sign up for the CULMINATION Events and pick up YOUR FREE SUPPLIES PACKET and GOODY BAG at the Library closest to you. We Look forward to seeing you there!

 

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: 2021, Activity project video, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Book as Art, CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, City of Los Angeles Public Library, Community Art programs, Creating books by hand, Culmination, Distance learning, Handmade Books, LAPL, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books By Hand, making books online, Online Bookmaking, Online bookmaking workshops, Panorama ity Branch Library, Slide Show, Zoom, Zoom art workshops, Zoom classes

Celebrate Art and Poetry at these April Events!

April 2, 2021 By Debra Disman

I am culminating my 2020-21 artist residency programs with the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs with two bookmaking workshops and events at the West Valley Regional Branch Library, and the Panorama City Branch Library respectively.

Please join us for either or both of these FREE online community events! Materials and goody bag provided for those who sign up, and go to the Branch sites to pick them up.

Help us celebrate National Poetry Month and the culmination of two wonderful residency programs that were conducted entirely online!  You will have the opportunity to create your own “Flag Book” and adding your own or other favorite poetry to it! Learn how to do “found writing” and express yourself through art and poetry without leaving the comfort of your own home. Details on the fliers below!!

 

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Presentations, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: 2021, Artist residency Culmination Event, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Book as Art, CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, City of Los Angeles Public Library, Community Art programs, Creating books by hand, Distance learning, Handmade Books, LAPL, Los Angeles Public Library, making Books, Making Books By Hand, making books online, Online Bookmaking, Online bookmaking workshops, Panorama ity Branch Library, Scroll-making, Scrolls, Women Artists, Women's history month, Zoom, Zoom art workshops, Zoom classes

ZOOM In On Distance Learning 7

March 26, 2021 By Debra Disman

As everyone keeps saying, 2020 was a year like no other. Well, no-one had seen 2021 yet.

2021 it seems, may also prove to be a year like no other, finding us teaching online, in my case through Zoom, engaging in what is called, “distance learning”. Well, you can’t beat the commute and clean-up time, and I found there are indeed ways to connect significantly with students and colleagues, and even teach some things!

In March 2021, I led an scroll making program in honor of Women’s History Month focused on Celebrating Women Artists, at the Panorama City Branch Library,  part of my artist residency in bookmaking there, through the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.


We looked at images and information about three great women artists, Faith Ringgold, Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe, and Branch Manager Roman shared some of Faith Ringgold‘s books from the Library!


Participants were invited to cut out the provided  images of the artists, their work, and the information about them, and add them to sheets of brightly colored tag board paper, which they had attached to wooden sticks, or dowels at either end, to create unique scrolls.

Each maker created a different composition with the materials provided in our fun and informative supplies packets.


One young maker added painting to the surface, then his father added images honoring women artists to complete the scroll!


Scrolls could be horizontal or vertical, and rolled up at either end and then unfurled.


Ribbon was provided for participants to keep their rolled scrolls in place if they wished to.
Here Panorama City Branch Library Branch Manager Roman gets into the act!

An honoring of Women’s History Month, Women Artists, specific women artists, the Library, and especially, of human creativity, imagination and ingenuity!
SO needed, especially during this past year and into the current one.

Gratitudes!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: 2021, ACCORDION FOLD BOOKS, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Book as Art, Books with Pockets, Celebrate Women Artists, CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, City of Los Angeles Public Library, Community Art programs, Creating books by hand, Distance learning, Faith Ringgold, Folded Books, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, Handmade Books, LAPL, Los Angeles Public Library, making Books, Making Books By Hand, making books online, Online Bookmaking, Online bookmaking workshops, Panorama ity Branch Library, Scroll-making, Scrolls, Women Artists, Women's history month, Zoom, Zoom art workshops, Zoom classes

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