The Healing Power of Art: Through the prism of creativity, negative energy is transformed into positive energy.
About the Artist/Author
As a native Californian, Debora Gillman's love of nature and the arts was greatly enhanced by two years abroad on kibbutz in Israel during her high school years.
She graduated from U.C. Santa Cruz with a major in French Literature and a minor in art. She has also studied art at UCLA and Otis. She was the Executive Director of the Park La Brea Arts Council and is on the staff of The ARTery USA. She contributed to the Miracle Mile Civic Coalition's community events and is a past member of the Hancock Park Arts Council. She worked at the Anti-Defamation League for 32 years in community service and contributed her artwork to this leading human relations organization.
She served as Event Coordinator of the Park La Brea Activity Center for 14 years. Debora Gillman teaches workshops for children and adults at Park La Brea. She has also done so at the Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, and at local public libraries. "Debi Doodles" is the popular name for her After School Arts & Crafts Program that met at Park La Brea twice a month from 2009 to 2019 when the pandemic began. These workshops are posted on www.Facebook/parklabrea.com & www.Facebook/DebiDoodlesART.com
Debora Gillman published her first illustrated children's book, THEPAINTER'S DREAM, in October 2010. For information and a synopsis of this book, please see https://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.aspx?bookid=88336 and www.Xlibris.com. This book is also available in Barnes & Noble at The Grove and online at www.barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com .
In 2011, Debora published her second illustrated book about art for young and more mature readers alike, entitled DRAWING FROM THE MASTERS. Please see:
http://www2.xlibris.com/books/webimages/wd/103985/aboutBook.htm
Debora and her mother, Miriam Gillman, have co-authored and co-illustrated the third children's book, "An Un-bear-able Situation: Bears and the Environment." It is available at www.Xlibris.com and www.barnesandnoble.com
In 2021, Debora published her illustrated book, "The Lady of Positivity" on Amazon.com.
She republished "The Painter's Dream and "Bears and the Environment: An Un-BEAR-Able Situation on Amazon.com"
She published "The Earth Stopped" on Amazon.com.
In 2022, Debora published her ARTobiography, "The Art of Debora Gillman: HeARTbeats and HeARTbreaks" on Amazon.com.
About THE PAINTER'S DREAM
I am currently facilitating workshops based on my illustrated children's book, THE PAINTER'S DREAM. In my workshops for young children, we read my book out loud together; they color the matching coloring book; and the transfer coloring book pages onto blank puzzle sheets to create their own puzzles.
The story and exercises are learning tools for children about art and creativity. We learn about spontaneity and the element of chance in the creative process.
The intentional repetition of colors and shapes make this story an educational vehicle in the arts. The bright illustrations add greatly to the text.
Synopsis: A fantasy story about a King, Queen and their painter which shows how the heavens, moon, sun and stars were created. The King and Queen were bored looking at the empty sky night after night. So, they asked their young painter to create something. The story relates and illustrates the painter's various creative attempts, until one day, quite by accident, she creates something that the King and Queen love and from there she creates the heavens, sun, moon, stars and planets.
Since the publication of THE PAINTER'S DREAM, I have directed workshops for young children at:
The Craft and Folk Art Museum (CAFAM), Los Angeles
Edendale Library, Silverlake
Park La Brea Activity Center, Los Angeles
Hancock Park School, Los Angeles
It is my goal to reach as many people - teachers, educators, parents, and children alike - with THE PAINTER'S DREAM.
Please contact me through this website or directly at debbgill@ca.rr.com if you are interested.
Thank you and Happy Doodling!
Check out my DVD at: