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Debra Disman

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Flag Book

Raising our Flags at the Sunland-Tujunga Library!

November 2, 2019 By Debra Disman

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!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, BOOKS, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: ACCORDION SPINE, AIR, ARTIST BOOKS, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, Cartoons, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Artist in Residence Program, Community, Community Arts, Community Arts programs, DCA, DCA AIR, Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, FAMILY ARTMAKING, Family Bookmaking, Flag Book, Folded and glued Books, Folded Books, Handmade Books, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles Public Library, Public Library, STEAM, SUNLAND-TUJUNGA BRANCH LIBRARY, Sunland-Tujunga Library, Teen Bookmaking, Teens, Text, Text and Image, VHHS

MANGA Love at the Granada Hills Branch Library

October 30, 2019 By Debra Disman

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?

Filed Under: Artists' Books, BOOKS, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: ACCORDION SPINE, AIR, ARTIST BOOKS, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency The Granada Hills Library, Arts programs for Children, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, Cartoons, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Artist in Residence Program, Community, Community Arts, Community Arts programs, DCA, DCA AIR, Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, Families, FAMILY ARTMAKING, Flag Book, flag bookmaking program, Folded and glued Books, Folded Books, Granada Hills Public Library, Handmade Books, Image, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles Public Library, Manga Art, Manga Comics, Public Library, Teens, Text, Text and Image

Cartoon/Manga/Comics Flag BookMaking Workshop

September 21, 2019 By Debra Disman

Come and learn how to make the magical “Flag Book” structure, and fill it with  cartoon/Manga/comics images that are provided, or ones you create yourself.

Free, all materials included, open to the public, all are welcome!

This workshop is part of my Department of Cultural Affairs Artist Residency at the Sunland-Tujunga Public Library, 2019-2020 and is made possible in part by a grant form the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

This workshop is geared for teens, but all are welcome!

Tagged With: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency The Granada Hills Library, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Arts and Crafts, Bookmaking, Bookmaking at the Public Library, Books made by Hand, Cartooning, Cartoons, Comics, Community Artmaking, Community Arts, DCA, Family Bookmaking, Flag Book, Granada Hills Library, Granada Hills Public Library, Handmade Books, Hispanic heritage Month, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles Public Library, Manga, Manga Style Comics, ONE-OF-A-KIND HANDMADE BOOKS, Paper Arts, Photo Book, Public Library Arts and Crafts, Teaching Artist

“Create Your Own Flag Book”

September 21, 2019 By Debra Disman

“Join us for a bookmaking program led by Department of Cultural Affairs Artist in Residence Debra Disman. Learn to make the fun and fantastic flag book that opens in different ways to show the words and pictures you put inside. As you open the book the flags move and create a pattern! All materials included.”

For Ages 10-18.

This event is part of my artist residency through the Department of Cultural Affairs for the City of Los Angeles..

Join us, and see the Library has to offer!

Tagged With: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Arts and Crafts, Bookmaking, Bookmaking at the Public Library, Books made by Hand, Community Artmaking, Community Arts, DCA, Family Bookmaking, Flag Book, FLAG BOOKMAKING, Folded Books, Handmade Books, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles Public Library, ONE-OF-A-KIND HANDMADE BOOKS, Paper Arts, Public Library Arts and Crafts, SUNLAND-TUJUNGA BRANCH LIBRARY, Teaching Artist

Fairy Tales…Make Your Own Books

August 24, 2019 By Debra Disman

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!

Filed Under: Artists' Books, BOOKS, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: "Fairyt Tales", "Make Your Own Books!", Accordion Fold, Art Supplies, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Book Arts, Book Arts Classes, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Bookmaking Classes, Children Making Books, Collage, Flag Book, Handmade Books, Making Books Together, Materials, Media, Mixed media, Side binding, Side Bound, Teaching Artist

Community Bookmaking Workshop at the Brentwood Art Center!

May 19, 2019 By Debra Disman

Join us to create the fun, innovative and versatile flag book structure and learn “found writing” techniques to take the anxiety out of the writing process.

Learn to fold an accordion spine, attach covers, and add multiple flag book pages which create a pattern and move and groove when the book is opened and shut. Discover the artist, writer, designer and collagist within and learn essential bookmaking skills at the same time.

Open to all ages. Children under six should be accompanied by an adult. Register now!

Tagged With: Art and Writing, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Arts Workshops, BOOKMAKING WORKSHOP, Books made by Hand, Brentwood Art Center, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, Community Workshop, Family arts, Family Bookmaking, Flag Book, Flag Books and Found Writing, Free Community Workshop, Handmade Books, The Brentwood Art Center

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