Studio Workshops
Would you like to learn water marbling? I would love to teach you!
I offer one-on-one sessions or small group classes in my own studio In Vancouver, WA or depending on locale, I could come to you. Whether it's fabric, paper, wood, or other surfaces you'd like to explore, we can try anything. That being said, water marbling is very finicky and what works well one day doesn't always work well the next. I do promise that you will come away with an array of items and the knowledge of how to marble on your own.
I cannot tell you how excited I am to be able to share this art form and I can't wait to find out what you'd like to get out of our experience!
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-Fall 2027 update -
With the Fall weather cooling things down I am teaching but by appointment only.
For more information please click here.
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Check out my portfolio of marbled patterns, marbled items, and more!​​
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For general inquiries please click on the octopus below!
The origins of water marbling
The name ebru is believed to come from the Persian word ebri, meaning "cloud-like." The way colors softly swirl and move across the water’s surface is magic. Technically chemistry, but I still believe it's part magic. The roots of ebru are thought to date back to the 13th century, possibly originating in the shamanistic traditions of Central Asia or Turkestan, where fortune-telling rituals involved manipulating pigments floating on water. Again, did someone say magic?
From there, the art is believed to have traveled along the Silk Road, eventually reaching Persia and later Anatolia, present-day Turkey, where it flourished and evolved into the refined art form we recognize today.
Originally, marbled papers were used in official documents as a way to prevent forgery since each pattern is entirely unique. Over time, the technique expanded into bookbinding, calligraphy, and fine art, becoming both functional and deeply expressive.
In traditional ebru, small amounts of paint created from pigments from the earth, are dropped onto a bath of thickened water. The paints float and remain separate, never blending, allowing artists to gently guide the colors into intricate patterns using sticks, combs, brushes, and breath. Each piece becomes a moment captured, spontaneous, fluid, and one of a kind.
Another form of water marbling, called suminagashi, originated in Japan in the early 12th century. Unlike ebru, suminagashi uses ink floated on plain water. Because the water is not thickened, the resulting patterns are softer and more subtle, yet equally beautiful and meditative.
Both traditions have been practiced across cultures for centuries, and in 2014, Ebru was added to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, recognizing its profound cultural and artistic significance.
Today, water marbling is practiced worldwide and continues to evolve finding new life in book arts, textiles, fine art, design, and contemporary craft. A timeless tradition forever flowing forward.
