“We Right The Book” IV

“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.

“Scroll Away” at the Fowler Museum At UCLA

“Scroll Away” at the Fowler Museum At UCLA

The current  exhibition at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, “How to Make the Universe Right” features large scroll paintings from Vietnam and China. This show and artworks were the inspiration for a drop-in family workshop for all ages.

“Examples in the exhibition include vibrantly colored and intricately embroidered ritual robes and headdresses worn by priests, and a spectacular set of eighteen scrolls of elaborately painted deities, made for those engaged in the higher levels of initiation.”–Fowler Museum

Participants were invited to create their very own scrolls, using paper they marbled themselves if they so chose.

With a large turn-out, we had a wonderful time creating together in the Fowler’s beautiful central courtyard!

The lovely and talented Allison, currently interning at The Fowler, supported our workshop!

Our beautiful materials, laid out enticingly, under the tress in the courtyard.

Examples of marbled papers.

Participants digging into the goodies!

This young man resides in London, and was in Los Angeles for business. He said our workshop was the perfect activity for relaxing during his trip!

This young couple, all smiles, did not realize they were working in complementary colors! (Purple and yellow).  If you look closely, you can see that she is the inspiration for the “tiger rider” he drew on his scroll!

This (obviously!) artist made a unique and very imaginative scroll, including marbled papers that folded out from the structure.

She insisted on gifting the piece to me. I am honored, and will use it as a sample for subsequent workshops.  Her painted coveralls were also an inspiration!

A three-generational family group joined us and all the children created

beautiful scrolls, supported by parents and grandparents!

Creating creates joy…

and it is wonderful to have family support.

What could be better on a beautiful day in late summer, with the school year starting soon, and the whole academic year ahead….then to create a scroll in good company, in the courtyard of the inspirational Fowler Museum?

We hope you plan a visit soon.
Maybe there will be a hands-on artmaking workshop free to the public going on…check it out!