Debra Disman

Artist

National Poetry Month

Celebrate Poetry Month and Honor Earth Day through Bookmaking!

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Please join us online for our final Artist Residency  event of the season!

I will help you create a special handmade “closed spine” accordion book with simple pop-ups  honoring Earth Day and celebrating National Poetry Month!

 

When you sign up you will not only receive the supplies necessary to participate in the program, but a special artmaking materials good bag and Los Angeles Public Library SWAG!
This is an online program.

PLEASE  sign up using the link that we’ve set up: tinyurl.com/34a8nam9  so that we can provide you with the info we’re gathering using the form and also to minimize any questions about supply packets.so that we can provide you with the info we’re gathering using the form and also to minimize any questions about supply packets.

 For ADA accommodations, call (213) 228-7430 at least 72 hours prior to the event.

Para ajustes razonables según la ley de ADA, llama al (213) 228-7430 al menos 72 horas antes del evento.

I Hope To See You There!

CULMINATING OUR ARTIST RESIDENCY: Panorama City Branch Library

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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!!

CULMINATING OUR ARTIST RESIDENCY: West Valley Regional Branch Library

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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!!

Learning Online: Poetry Flag Book

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I have been honored to serve as Artist in Residence at the Granada Hills Branch Library, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

In concert with the Library Staff I created several online bookmaking workshop presentations, including, below:

How to Make a Poetry Flag Book

In Honor of NATIONAL POETRY MONTH – The Month of April!

Explore, learn, play, enjoy!

How to create the Flag Book Step by Step:

Friday Bookmakers Inspiration! We Stand (Sit?!) Together, Making Books! (5)

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Collie working in his “studio” at Craft Contemporary in March, 2020

I have been honored to work with a wonderful group of “older adults” at the Craft Contemporary Museum in Los Angeles, offering a series of workshops teaching bookmaking techniques, and providing a forum for creativity, imagination, sharing and story.

The remainder of our series, “Crafting Our Stories By Hand” has had to be postponed due covid19.

Therefore, I have started an email newsletter to keep our community going, offering tips, images and sharing the work these makers are doing at home while “sheltering in place”.

Sharing these newsletters as a blog post makes their contents available for any and all. It inspiring to see what these makers have done and are doing during these crazy times.

Dear Bookmakers,

I am happy to bring you images, tips, inspiration and learning for your bookmaking journey.

I hope you are all well, staying safe, and creating!
We have some wonderful new works for you to enjoy, and ponder.
I already posted the first two pages of Vicki’s Coronavirus HAIKU book, but she sent some more Haiku poems, and I wanted to share them with you. 
These works may be expressing what many are feeling now, and what a wonderful way to cope with these feelings…making them into poetry, and putting them into your own book creation. 
Vicki’s Coronavirus HAIKU book


Notice the use of color and materials in this piece, somber colors, plain black ink, graph paper. Gets across the serious feeling and intent. Anxiety, questioning, concerns. Very moving, Vicki. Glad your husband is fine, as I understand it.

Here are Sandra’s gorgeous contributions this week. Sandra also participated in the Craft Contemporary’s Zoom Craft-In gathering yesterday, and shared these works, to many oohs and ahhhs…
Sandra says, “First book is another catalogue taken apart and reconfigured using the exposed spine construction. A few pages…..”


Beautiful use of stitching in this piece….bravo! Fun, whimsical, adds an extra dimension, makes the viewer stop a moment.

“Second book was made of paint chip scraps with a stick (brush) binding. I had listened to Jerry Saltz’s new book “How to be an Artist”. Some of his ‘rules’ inspired me to create a book around them. He’s the New York magazine art critic. I love him! A few pages……”


Sandra has an incredible facility with shapes and colors, graphics and design. Notice how the black and white text stands out against the colorful shapes. Very imaginative use of paint chips too! We can all use what we find around us to create books!

Well that is it for this week dear Readers!

If you are able, and so inclined, use the comments section to share something book-related, or anything of interest you wish.

Stay safe, stay strong, stay well

STAY CREATIVE!
In peace and hope and truth and beauty,

And as Sandra says, 

“Craft on!

Friday Bookmakers Inspiration! We Stand (Sit?!) Together, Making Books! (3)

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I have been honored to work with a wonderful group of “older adults” at the Craft Contemporary Museum in Los Angeles, offering a series of workshops teaching bookmaking techniques, and providing a forum for creativity, imagination, sharing and story.

The series, “Crafting Our Stories By Hand” has had to be postponed due covid19.

Therefore, I have started an email newsletter to keep our community going, offering tips, images and sharing the work these makers are doing at home while “sheltering in place”.

Sharing these newsletters as a blog post makes their contents available for any and all. It inspiring to see what these makers have done and are doing during these crazy times.

Dear Bookmakers,

I am happy to bring you images, tips, inspiration and learning for your bookmaking journey.

I hope you are all well, staying safe, and creating!

Today I will share with you:
  • More wondrous works by Sandra and Vicki
  • Samples of a “Poetry Flag Book” project in honor of April, National Poetry Month
  • A link to a  special book  “Books and Their Artists”, on sale right now through the Getty shared by CORNELIA…thank you Cornelia! I actually own this book and it  is amazing, detailed, informative and informational. See right below!
“Book in a Box” created by Vicki for her Granddaughter

Vicki says about the vertical accordion book below:
 “My dearest friend was moved deeply by this W.H. Auden poem after the death of her husband.”

Vicki says, “Hope everyone is having as much fun as I am!”

Sandra says of the next two amazing books she made:
“I am now mining materials around the house for my book making.  
So inspired by Jeannine’s (Jeannine Stein…whose books I shared in last week’s newsletter) entry using a game board, I made my first book – an acknowledgment to our collective situation.”
“For the second book I (Sandra) dismantled a photography exhibition catalog and using the packing tape transfer technique Marsha taught us in class and a little collage work, I reassembled my version of the catalog.” (Brilliant!)
Please see below some images of a “Poetry Flag Book” that a student of mine from 2012 made after our workshop at the West Hollywood Library, and gifted me with! It contains another W.H. Auden poem! which the maker used both in full, and also cut up and rearranged on the Flag pages!

Something you can try at home, to celebrate April, National Poetry Month.

Remember, you can use the online resources of the Los Angeles Public Library any time during this time.

The Public Library is THERE FOR US ALL!

Check out their LIBRARY AT HOME resources.

Well that is it for this week dear Craft Contemporary Bookmakers!

If you are able, and so inclined, email us all back and share something book-related, or plaything you wish, of interest,

Stay safe, stay strong, stay well

STAY CREATIVE!

In peace and hope and truth and beauty,
debra