Teaching Artist

“We Write the Book”: Making TUNNEL BOOKS at the Northridge Library!

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I am thrilled to serve again as a 2025-26 “NEAR” Artist in Residence at the Northridge Branch Library!
This Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) is supported by the wonderful City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

On October 6th, 2025,  participants of a diverse ages and backgrounds gathered to learn how to create the TUNNEL BOOK, a three-dimensional story which moves back in space, and joyfully develop them into fanciful, whimsical and fantastical works of art.

All workshops FREE to the Public, All materials and supplies included!
JOIN US!

 

“WE Write the Book”: Making Flag Books at the Northridge Branch Library!

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I am thrilled to serve again as a 2025-26 “NEAR” Artist in Residence at the Northridge Branch Library!
This Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) is supported by the wonderful City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

On September 27th, 2025,  participants of a diverse ages and backgrounds gathered to learn how to create the accordion fold book, create one and two cut pop-ups, and joyfully develop their books into fanciful, whimsical and fantastical works of art.

  

    

“We Write the Book” Bookmaking series kicks off at the Northridge Library September 13th!

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“We Write the Book” “Kick-off” Workshop at the Northridge Library!

Our kick-off “We Write the Book” 2025 workshop at the Northridge Library is happening Saturday September 13th!
JOIN US!

I am thrilled to “kick-off” my “We Write The Book”  Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR)artist residency at the Northridge Public Library supported by the  Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs .


We will be learning the accordion fold as well as one and two-cut pop-ups and how to reinforce our books with “double covers”.
All ages and levels of experience welcome!


JOIN US!

I am honored to be serving the City of Los Angeles again through the DCA.

Surface Design Association Instagram “Take-over”!

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The weekend of November 29-December 1 I had the pleasure, the honor and the fun of “taking over” (collaborating with) the Instagram account of the beloved  Surface Design Association or “SDA”, as it is commonly known.

It was so much fun, rewarding and delightful to get responses from and connections to many artists and makers I was not yet aware of, and peruse their beautiful and innovative work.

Thank you SDA, for this lovely opportunity, and for All you do for All of us.

Here are some of my posts (sans videos):
(You can see the whole collaboration, as well as continually added works on the SDA Instagram as well as my own)

Hello and a happy holiday weekend to All. I have the privilege of collaborating with the @surface_design this weekend, an organization I am thrilled to be a part of. SDA offers community, connection, education and wonderful opportunities. I have had the pleasure of participating in several SDA exhibitions, and I am honored to be in the company of other SDA artist members showing around the country! Thank you SDA, for all you do for all of us.

“LA Foret I, II and III” Adding complexity with each piece, as a stand alone, and components of a whole. They are made from hundreds of pieces of cord, glued to a raw canvas surface, painted on the reverse, and hanging at a slight remove from the wall.


(a different image of this piece is on Instagram)
“KnoW Safe Place”, 2023, 60 x 48 x 48″, canvas, hemp/nylon/cotton cord, lace, netting, lace, ribbon, acrylic paint, wood, archival adhesive.  Is there no safe place?  Do we ever know safe space?

“The Body Politic: Like White on White”, 2024, 9x16x7
book board, hemp, canvas, hemp/assorted cord, trim, acrylic paint, archival pva
Three dimensions reaching into three dimensions.


A treasured part of my practice is sharing the wealth as a teaching artist across LA County. I teach bookmaking and more in libraries, schools, museums and other venues. I value these collaborations with others such as librarians, whose expertise I respect and learn from! Thank you to the @culture_la and others for the opportunities you afford teaching artists in all disciplines.

Studio shot from the back by André Smits 
@artistintheworld713


Girrrrl powerFUL students from my “Making Art Inspired By Great Artists” class…creating their own textile hangings inspired by Faith Ringgold‘s extraordinary Story Quilts. Age range 1-5th grade, quite a range, and so talented.


It has been an honor to collaborate with the @surface_design over the past three days, and thank you, SDA for inviting me to do so. I leave you with “The Body Politic: Black and Gold“, 2024, 8.5 x 23 x 7”, made of book board, canvas, cord, netting, lace, trim, metallic leaf and beads. A book-inspired object that references the body as well as adornment and asks is what is precious; which can be presented in multiple states of open and closed; hints and glints at secrets, yet contains nothing on its pages except that which we project. Wishing all a healthy and peaceful holiday and strength for the New Year.

Faith Ringgold-Inspired “Story Quilts”

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In what I am calling my “Girl Power” after-school artmaking class (“Making Art Inspired By Great Artists!), my group of seven power artmakers are hard at work creating textile creations based on the “Story Quilt” invention of the late inspirational artist Faith Ringgold, a Force of Nature known for her breakthrough textile textile artistic creations and civil rights activism.

Magnificent creations. So inspiring and moving, and such a great group. So supportive of each other, devoted to their creative and artistic expressions, and imaginative ideas and use of materials.

Brava!!!

Of Polka Dots and Butterflies: Inspired by Yayoi Kusama

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In what I am calling my “Girl Power” after-school artmaking class (“Making Art Inspired By Great Artists!), my group of seven power artmakers are hard at work creating polka-dotted butterfly books inspired by Japanese Artist Yayoi Kusama!

First up was to learn the correct pronouncement of Kusama’s name…not familiar to the girrrls. Next they created accordion-fold book spines, added the front and back covers, and finally, butterfly wings to the center fold of the spine

Then it was off to the races to add colorful polka dots to their books, in honor of Kusama’s interest (obsession with?) circles, polka-dots, and their endlessness and thus the expression of  infinity the circular shape affords, at least in Kusama’s book (!)

Adding also flowers, butterflies (stickers), ribbons to honor May Day and even using a butterfly shaped hole puncher, the girrrls wowed with their use of materials, their creativity, and imagination to create unique, whimsical, beautiful and stunningly singular works. Just like Yayoi Kusama does with her materials, creativity and imagination!

What a marvelous group. Brava!

Spines folded, covers and wings attached, let the adornment begin!


Weaving ribbons through the holes.


 Can there be any more polka dots?!?


Using the butterfly hole puncher.


Deft use of the polka dot (and other) stickers, which she is adding white texture to (overlaying the original orange color polka dot color on the wings) , which she took out or replaced later, to have just the plain orange polka dots. Just amazing!