Because I enjoy sharing the process of marbling as much as producing paper, I offer workshops in my home for small groups of 3 to 5 participants.
The last WORKSHOP was on November 8, 2008. The next one could be early Spring, depending on interest. Because of the logistics of marbling, the workshop experience is concentrated into a weekend. The main session will be Saturday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. More details below.
LOCATION : Just north of Hickory, NC in the Grace Chapel/Northlakes area. We’ll work in a spacious indoor workshop with individual marbling stations for each student.
OBJECTIVE: Learn the basic techniques of traditional Western marbling on paper, including the preparation of materials and the selection, construction and use of tools. Information about the history of marbling and the current state of the craft will be included. You will enjoy playing with color and patterns, and letting your creativity flow!
EXPERIENCE NEEDED: Absolutely none! Marbling does not require any art experience or the ability to draw or paint. It is nearly impossible not to have fun while marbling in a relaxed environment. We’ll emphasize easily paced instruction and exploration of individual interests.
COST: The workshop fee is $50, which covers the use of tools and all materials needed.
WEAR: Old clothes that you don’t mind getting messy and paint-spattered. Shoes that are comfortable for extended periods of standing. (Seating is available for anyone with special needs and we’ll take breaks during the day.) Rubber or latex gloves are recommended for those with sensitive skin.
TO REGISTER: Contact Ginny Moreland by email hickorymarbler@yahoo.com or by phone at 828-449-4294. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. If these dates are bad for you, get on the list for notification of future classes.
MORE INFORMATION:
FRIDAY EVENING, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Students are encouraged, but not required, to spend an hour or so the evening before the main workshop to experience the full process of preparation. We will make the “size,” the thickened water on which marbling paints floats, and will mix an alum solution and apply it to enough paper to get us started on Saturday. We’ll also be mixing a selection of paints to use on Saturday, and setting up the workstations. There is no additional charge for Friday evening time.
SATURDAY: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (bring a sack lunch; we’ll take a break to eat and talk) We’ll start with discussion of the basic process of marbling: history, materials, methods, and tools.
We’ll spend much of Saturday at the tanks, learning to apply color to the bath, adjust paints for best performance, manipulate the color into patterns, lay down the paper to create a print, and handle the print as it is rinsed, dried, and pressed. We’ll be using acrylic paints and a variety of paper types for this class.
We’ll learn several of the basic patterns as well as free-form marbling, and if desired we can explore more complex patterning. We’ll cover both “stone” patterns where paint is sprinkled on the tank, and the beautiful intricate patterns created with rakes and combs. We’ll talk a little bit about color theory and experiment with mixing additional hues from the basic paint selection.
Toward mid-afternoon we’ll assess what other topics the participants would like to focus on, and also whether any are interested in continuing for a few more hours Sunday afternoon. (You may find it addictive!) Additional time might be spent on more advanced patterns, techniques, and special effects, or on the various ways to use the marbled paper that you will be taking home. There will be examples of several kinds of end products and lots of resources for those who wish to continue on this path. (There will be an additional materials fee if we continue into Sunday.)
One of my favorite uses for marbled paper – gift wrapping! This shows two patterns you could reasonably expect to make in the beginners workshop.
