“We Right The Book” IV
Making Scrolls…The Book That Rolls…
I am honored to serve as Artist in Residence at Verdugo Hill High School in Tujunga, CA (Los Angeles) for a group of 42 Senior English class Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) students.
Our project is entitled, “We Right the Book“, and is supported by an Artist in residence grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. I am working with the students on a series of bookmaking projects during weekly workshops held right in the classroom from September – December, 2017. The students are also assisting with bookmaking workshops held for the community at-large in the Sunland-Tujunga Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library.
The project is designed to offer participating students an outlet for feelings, thoughts, hopes and dreams related to their upcoming transition out of high school, and into the next epoch of their lives.
We started with the basics: Accordion Fold Books, created from folding equidistant sections of material. We moved from there to the fun, kinetic and versatile Flag Book Structure, then on to theatre-like Tunnel Books.
To change it up, we then created scrolls…the ancient, original portable (as opposed to stories written on cave walls…) books and rolled either horizontally or vertically. We attached bright tagboard sheets to wooden dowels, marbleized our own paper and used it, as well as other collage materials, rubber stamping, hole punched designs and more to our pieces. The results were….beautiful.
Summer dreaming?
Focussed, and private.
She punched out the star shapes from black paper, and glued them on…and it looks like we are seeing through to the night sky…
Beautiful use of framing the marbled paper…
“Winter Wonderland”…no matter that we are in Southern California…imagination rules!
“Never stop doing what you love….”
Another use of black framing…
“This is the secret note of encouragement...” what an inspiring proclamation…
This is what it is all about.
parents and grandparents,
Materials for book spines and covers are laid out and ready for the young makers.
Supported by student artist assistants Angelica, Karen, Roxy, Lillian, Kai and Haroutyun, participants got right into the activity, choosing colors, folding accordion spines, adding covers and then…
perhaps the best part, developing their content! Writing, drawing, cutting, gluing, designing
The student assistants supported the young makers with their presence,
interaction, distribution of supplies, and sample making.
Proud bookmakers show off their creations.
What a line-up!
This young artist integrated story and illustrations beautifully, keeping character details consistent.
In this book about striped snakes, the author carefully cut out all the stripes and glued them to the snake characters….a great deal of work and commitment.
The young creator had special support and guidance from student artist assistant Haroutyun, who provided excellent assistance and support.
“Ascend Descend”
“Do The Impossible”
The “ascent” of “Ascend Descend”
FOCUS
Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Magnet English teacher Amy Leserman joins in the flag bookmaking.
An industrious maker adds tiny butterflies to the cover of her book.
Choosing a length of cord to enhance book.
Angelica layers materials into her folded page.
We have a wonderful group of boys in the class…talented and detailed makers!
Two girls work together (upper left of image) making the most of materials, space and each other!
Working with letters, and seeing/absorbing their visual quality.
He is able to let others into his world through the book.
Paper world…
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