Marbling lessons
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 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 leave with a handful 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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To inquire please click on the octopus below and I'll get back to you asap!
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The history of water marbling is absolutely fascinating.
The name "ebru" is thought to be from the Persian word,"ebri" meaning cloud-like because of the way the paints swirl on the water.
It is suggested that the roots of Ebru date back to the 13th century and was possibly used in the shamanistic practices of Central Asia or possibly Turkestan where fortune-telling involved manipulating paints on water. How cool is that?​
From there the art is believed to have traveled the Silk Road reaching what was once Persia and then Anatolia which is current day Turkey.
Marbled papers were initially for use in documents so they could not be forged. From there the art form was used for documents and books along with art.
The art of ebru is small amounts of paint dropped onto a bath of thickened water. The beauty is that the paints never mix, they'll always stay separate which leads to beautiful patterns you can manipulate with sticks, brushes, straws, and more.
There is also a type of water marbling called suminagashi which originates in Japan in the early 12th century. The difference between ebru and suminagashi is that suminagashi is ink on plain water. Due to the viscosity the patterns that form with suminagashi are not as complex as ebru but still completely amazing.
Both forms have remained a part of several cultures for centuries and in 2014 ebru was entered into UNESCO's Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage, highlighting its cultural significance.
Current day marbling is worldwide and has many uses. Bookbinding, textiles, art, and so much more.
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The origins of water marbling
