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Debra Disman

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Library Arts Programming

Marbling Unfurled: Making Marbled Scrolls at the Granada Hills Library

May 24, 2019 By Debra Disman

It has been exciting to lead programs at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, as part of my Artist Residency there:  “We Write the Book“, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, I led a workshop for all on how to marble paper, create scrolls and put these two forms together into one of the oldest book structures extant.


Scrollwork made by an adult artist at a UCLA-Fowler Museum program and generously gifted to me, and which I often use as a sample/model to inspire students.


We begin by floating specially formulated inks on the surface of a tub of water. The ink colors can be gently moved around to create designs. Papers are then carefully lowered onto the surface of the “inked” water, and pick up the designs, like a monoprint!


The marbled papers are lifted out of the tub, placed on and under and blotted with paper towels, which absorb excess water and help with the drying process.


The results can be delicate pastel,


or stronger colors and patterns, depending on the colors and handling of the inks.


While their marbled papers were drying, participants chose bright tagboard papers for their scrolls and added wooden dowels at the vertical top and bottom of the pieces. They then added their marbled papers and a myriad of other materials!


We used both glue sticks and tacky glue, depending on the weight of the materials added.


The results were resplendent, with the softer strength marbled papers contrasting with gold ribbon and more.


Intergenerational attendance enriched the experience, as participants of all ages engaged their creativity and learned new skills in the process.


Whole families joined us, even with very young attendees! Hopefully, these young parents of two got a break.


Attendees young and old loved adding two and three-dimensional stickers,


washi tape, ribbon and string,


putting them all together in imaginative and innovative ways to create singular scrollworks.


This says it all. The Library belongs to Everyone!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency The Granada Hills Library, Artists' Book/s, Asian and Pacific Heritage Month, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, Asian/Pacific Heritage Month, BOOKMAKING WORKSHOP, Bright Tagboard, CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, DCA, Family Bookmaking, Fowler museum, Granada Hills Public Library, Handmade Books, Library Arts Programming, Monoprints, Paper Craft, paper marblng, Scroll, Scroll-making, Scrolls, Washi Tape

Felt, Fabric, Feathers, FUN: Celebrating Women Artists at the Will and Ariel Durant Branch Library

March 27, 2019 By Debra Disman

I was thrilled to lead an artmaking program at the Will and Ariel Durant Branch Library of the Los Angeles Public Library System to celebrate Women’s History Month, specifically Women Artists!

Inspired by the artist Faith Ringgold’s “Story Quilts”, participants including children, adults and families, used a glorious melange of soft materials (well, there were some buttons…) to create their own textile hangings, tapestries of sorts, learning about five very special women artists in the process.

Faith Ringgold of New York City,  Yayoi Kusama of Japan,  Liza Lou of Los Angeles,  Frida Kahlo of Mexico, and  Georgia O’Keeffe of New Mexico were presented and discussed, and participants incorporated images of the artists and their work into their projects. The creative juxtaposition of materials and images was thrilling…and inspiring.


Children’s Librarian Aida got into the act with Georgia O’Keeffe, one of her favorite artists.


Feathers are fun!


This maker ensconced herself at one end of the room and focussed intensively on the materials.


Devotion to detail…

  
A glorious melange of felt, feathers, canvas and cloth…


Adding buttons.


Laying out the components in an orderly fashion…


Creating borders framing the work.


This Mom brings her two daughters to the program every week and enjoys creating with them. Talented…


She created a butterfly!


He created the five elements!


Serious little makers having fun. Did this little princess create her castle in her piece?


Wearable art!


Joy.

Filed Under: Artists' Books, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: Cloth, Community Artmaking, Fabric, Fabric Collage, Faith Ringgold, FAMILY ARTMAKING, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, Granada Hills Public Library, LAPL, Library Arts Programming, Library Programs, Liza Lou, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Art at the Public Library, Story Quilt, Story Quilts, Textile Collage, Textiles, Will and Ariel Durant Branch Library, Women Artists, Women's history month, Yayoi Kusama

Getting Lit: Making Matchbox Books at the Granada Hills Public Library

March 22, 2019 By Debra Disman

It has been exciting to lead programs at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, as part of  my Artist Residency there:  “We Write the Book“, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

In honor of Women’s History Month, I led a workshop on how to create mini “matchbox books”.  Open to the whole community, participants included families, seniors, children, adults and youth.  Participants used actual matchboxes as the container or “cover of their books, and folded accordion pages to place inside them. I had appropriately-sized images of the work of five amazing women artists, who the makers learned about, and used in and on their pieces.

Faith Ringgold of New York City,  Yayoi Kusama of Japan,  Liza Lou    of Los Angeles,  Frida Kahlo   of Mexico, and  Georgia O’Keeffe of New Mexico were featured, nd participants incorporated images of their work and the artists themselves into their projects, hopefully learning about them and being inspired in the process


Families work together.


Honored members of the Friends of the Library joined us.


Mother and daughter work side by side.


I couldn’t agree more!


Purple and pink…perennial favorites.

 
Kusama’s polka dots rule….


Kahlo graces the cover…


Our fearless, peerless teen librarian, Kristin Peers, joins the fun!

It is such an honor to serve this community as Artist in Residence, and get to know the families and individuals who frequent the Branch, as well as its awesome Staff.

Gratitudes!

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: Accordion Fold, accordion-folded pages, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency The Granada Hills Library, Artists' Book/s, BOOKMAKING WORKSHOP, CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, DCA, Fabric Collage, Faith Ringgold, Family Bookmaking, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keeffe, Granada Hills Public Library, Handmade Books, Library Arts Programming, Liza Lou, Matchbox books, Mini-books, Story Quilt, Textile Collage, Women Artists, Women's history month, Yayoi Kusama

Seeing Double Vision: Double Flower Bookmaking

February 13, 2019 By Debra Disman

 

It has been exciting to lead programs at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, as part of  my Artist Residency there:  “We Write the Book“, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs

In honor of  Chinese New Year, community members participated in creating “Double Flower” books (also known as “Exploding Books”).

Both adults and children learned to fold and “pop-out” the basic structure. They then made several and glued them together to create a  long or short book of repeated folded forms  that flatten into a single square. Finally, they had a blast adding covers and a tie if they wished, and embellishing their creations with all manner of materials.


Sisters with their folded up books: books closed..


Books open!


Taking the materials in another direction…


Mom gets into the act making her own Double Flower creation.

 


I also taught the “Turkish Map Fold”, (but that is another story…), and this intrepid maker was able to create one on her own!


Dad gets a gift from daughter…


The work of our hands…

Celebrating the beauty of the holiday, in community, creating together.

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency The Granada Hills Library, Artists' Book/s, BOOKMAKING WORKSHOP, Chinese New Year, CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, DCA, Double Flower Books, Double Flower Fold Book, Exploding Books, Family Bookmaking, Folded pop-up books, Granada Hills Public Library, Handmade Books, Library Arts Programming

Freedom of Expression and More…

January 30, 2019 By Debra Disman

It has been exciting to lead programs at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, as part of  my Artist Residency there:  “We Write the Book“, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and freedom in all its forms, participants created “single signature” sewn  and glued books, and then used their Freedom of Expression to develop and embellish the covers. A “signature” is a gathering of folded sheets that create pages for a book. Single signature bookbinding refers to a group of sheets (usually paper)  folded in the middle and bound together through sewing through their folds.

Although our program was originally planned for teens and “tweens”, several families attended including a number of dads with children. We had a wonderful time!


Sister and brother enjoy the delight of adding to their books after working step by step sewing and gluing to create them.


The glory of patterns. This young participant is age 3!


She attended with her mother.


In the background, mom and dad look on, taking a well-deserved break and enjoying the fun from the sidelines as their children worked and played.


Father offers support and presence to his son.


Our fearless leader, Branch Manager Pam, enjoys some creative “play” time, adding washi (decorative paper) tape to her book.

There is something very satisfying about hand-sewing a book together. It feels real…permanent. The work of our hands on a whole other level.
Hopefully, these books will continue to be developed at home, and most importantly, used!

 

Filed Under: Artist in Residence, Artists' Books, Student Work, Teaching Artist Tagged With: ACCORDION SPINE, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Artist Residency The Granada Hills Library, Artists' Book/s, BOOKMAKING WORKSHOP, CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY BOOKMAKING, DCA, Family Bookmaking, Granada Hills Public Library, Handmade Books, Library Arts Programming, Sewn Books, Single Signature Books, Washi Tape

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