Artist
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.
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!
Learn single signature binding, the pamphlet stitch, and how to create pockets for treasured items as well as how to use all kinds of beautiful and festive materials!
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.
Join us for a workshop for children and families to create their own “folded fan” books using accordion, pop-up and Papel Picado techniques!
All ages are welcome. Come join the fun!
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.
In our recent program at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, 23 participants created “folded fan” books, comprised of an accordion spine, front and back covers, and fan pages. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, they added their own “Picado Papel“, decoratively cut and punched papers, which added a special touch to their creations.
Families turned out, and parents worked closely with children to achieve their artistic visions! Especially heartwarming was the number of Dads who devoted themselves to supporting their sons and daughters through the process, while creating beautiful works themselves. And let’s not forget the Moms! It is wonderful to see adults give themselves over to the creative process. Parents, and all people, so need this time.
This workshop was part of my artist residency project: “We Write the Book“, supported by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles. Gratitudes!
Children’s Librarian extraordinaire, Alice Schock, engages with a young patron, artist and participant.
Like Mother, like Daughter…
The work of our hands…and creative ways of using shaped hole punchers to create Picado Papel!
Sisters and friends work together.
This young teen, age 13, took off with a Halloween theme.
Through careful work, discerning choices, and elegant handicraft, she designed a book that we hope she will keep forever!
This young maker transformed images of a noted Los Angeles mural of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and used the beautiful colors as a surface to create a repeated design with a butterfly-shaped hole puncher.
Piper and her Dad attended an earlier workshop, and were back again creating happily together.
Father and daughter work closely on her book. her Mom said that though she herself loves scrapbooking, she could never get Dad to do it. Now, maybe he might, after seeing how much fun cutting, pasting and arranging are!
Here is Mom at work on her own masterpiece, along with older daughter.
Sebastian and his Dad work side by side. spending precious time together.
Yellow blossoms drift across a luminous pink ground, floating in a world of warm colors. Washi tape is used to good effect as a framing device on the covers.
Benny and Mom have fun. Who says one has to sit on chairs?
These two friends had a blast, and worked with very different color schemes in their projects.
This is Greer’s second workshop. She loves to work with her hands, and even contributed some extra Washi tape to the cause!
Our scrapbooking Mom works on a mini-masterpiece. What patience it takes to punch out all those butterflies, then arrange and glue them to the cover!
But how worth is it was…here is her magnum opus…a treat for the eyes, heart and soul.
Thank You All.