Debra Disman

Artist

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Folded Books

Books and Cookies

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I am honored to be an Artist-in-Residence at the Sunland-Tujunga Library, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, conducting a series of bookmaking workshops for the community.

In celebration of the holiday spirit, I taught participants to create the fun and useful “envelope book”, which can indeed be sent through the mail! The envelope book can be used as a book and/or a card, and is an engaging project for the whole family.

The wonderful Children’s librarian Kirsten Xavier laid out cookies, making the whole experience that much sweeter, and adding to the festive atmosphere.


Mother and son work side by side, creating their envelope covers, and adding their folded accordion pages.


Cookies, a butterfly hole puncher and golden swirls, what could be better?! A green marker?!


Families worked together and devoted parents got a chance to create in tandem with their children.

Now that’s the holiday spirit!

All that Glitters….

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As part of my Artist Residency at the Granada Hills Branch Library supported by the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs,  I led a “gift bookmaking” program for the community.

As we found out, all that glitters may not be gold, but shiny stuff can be really fun to work with and inspire us to add a jewel-like quality to our handmade books.

Adults and children and teens/tweens alike enjoyed cutting out shapes from shiny, glittery adhesive-backed sheets!

The primary colors of red, yellow and blue never get old, especially when there is a glittery twist!

A very talented young maker created a “jewel”-studded book!

And he is a radiant Jewel himself…look at that 1000 watt smile!

A young reader tried  his hand a t bookmaking, cheered on my his Mom.

 

Here are his younger brother’s very seasonal works.

The fruits of their labor.

 

Participants made their way through the inevitable tangle of colorful ribbon to choose and use pieces to enhance their works.

Ribbon of wonders, just like the participants and their bookish creations!

 

Holiday Bookmaking at the Sunland-Tujunga Library!

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Learn to create the festive “Envelope” book  in honor of the holiday season and use it as a  unique gift or card for those special people  in your life!

This workshop is part of my Artist Residency at the Sunland-Tujunga Library, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

All materials included.

 

Tierra Del Sol at the Sunland-Tujunga Library

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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!

 

 

Raising our Flags at the Sunland-Tujunga Library!

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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!

MANGA Love at the Granada Hills Branch Library

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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?