That Special One

I still get all giddy and awe struck when I pull something from the bath. That's the beauty of marbling ~ every single piece is truly a unique surprise that never gets old to experience over and over again.

But every once-in-a-while, "the reveal" takes my breath away and leaves even me a bit WOWED (more than usual) off my feet.

That was this piece. I love it. And I love it hard. I can't stop looking at it.

It's for sale in my shop...and if you like it, you better snag it before I change my mind.

Super Deluxe, Super Fun

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of having folks from Super Deluxe over to my studio. Super Deluxe is a multi-platform entertainment company with a panashe for working with your not-so-typical creative voices. In other words, they are a little bit out there. But, they love artists, they love color, and they love bringing new and interesting things to their audience of ONE MILLION YouTube subscribers.

So of course I told them I would LOVE to have them join me in the studio to capture the spirit of marbling. What resulted was this great mini-story showcasing the beauty, magic and awe of marbling.

Enjoy! (If the video isn't loading for you, here's the direct link: https://youtu.be/OqclBOtOEx8)

Getting Back to the Tank

It's been a long, hot summer here in Southern California and it has put a damper on my marbling time. Last week, however, provided lovely conditions for marbling so I whipped up a bath and got back into the swing of things.

My only objective was to play and have fun. And I did. I didn't even practice many patterns. Instead I went for color and messed around with the traditional Spanish Marble pattern.

And this is what I love about marbling...even "just messing around" gives you spectacular results. Instantaneously.

It's so satisfying.

There are spots available in my Beginning Paper Marbling class on October 28. I'd love to share with you in the fun that can be had at the marbling tank! Email me to sign up.

Traditional Pattern Spotlight: Nightingale's Nest

Because marbling has a long and rich history, from its origins in Japan to its evolution in Turkey/Persia/India to its travel along the silk road and into Europe, some of its traditional patterns go by many names. This is one of them.

Dating back to the 1600s (and a popular endpaper design in old books), this pattern is usually called French Curl or Snail, though I prefer the Turkish name, Nightingale’s Nest (how sweet is that?!).

What I love about this pattern, and most other traditional patterns, is that it can be made using many different tools (stylus, rake, bouquet comb) and in conjunction with many different patterns (starting with any of the five foundation patterns)…making for wildly beautiful variations.

And that's the beauty of marbling...you can spend days/weeks/months/years working on the same pattern and never run out of inspiration. There's always more to pursue, more to consider, more to explore.

Traditional Pattern Spotlight: Nonpareil

Most people are familiar with this traditional marbled pattern called Nonpareil (which is French for “without equal”). It was quite the popular pattern used in endpapers in 19th-century books. In the technical world of marbling, a Nonpareil is made with a tool called a “comb” and the spacing of the teeth in the comb is 1/4” or less. I have a Nonpareil comb with teeth spaced at 1/8”…but I’ve seen some marblers’ with combs even closer than that! And some marblers even make their own Nonpareil comb where they will vary teeth spacing for their own personal signature mark!

Image courtesy of Einen Miura from the book, The Art of Marbled Paper

And while the Nonpareil is one of the “basic” foundation patterns in marbling, there is nothing basic about it. The pattern will look very different not only by mixing up comb sizes, but by changing the way it is made: starting with Stones vs. Boulders vs. Bull’s Eye, using a Waved Gelgit vs. a regular Gelgit or a full Gelgit vs. a half Gelgit, or doing it in a shallow bath vs. a deep bath.

Nonpareil as an Overmarble.

With so many options and possibilities, whatever your mood is, marbling will meet you there.

There is just one spot left in my all-day Beginning Marbling class on Saturday, June 24. If you'd like to learn how to make this, and other, elegant patterns, shoot me an email at Cheers "at" BarbSkoog "dot" com.

Warm Up

Like an athlete, I do warm-up (or practice) sheets in the marbling tank, stretching memory muscle and calibrating hand-eye coordination, before diving into "real" tank work.

I'm also testing my bath and paints to see how they are behaving. Like us, a new day means a new personality for both of them and things that worked well yesterday may not today. Warming up is about getting into the groove.

Many times, these practice pieces turn out to be some of my favorite pieces, partly because I have no expectations of them and partly because I don't think too hard about things and just let my creative instinct (and eight years of marbling experience!) take the lead.

Hand-marbled Papers in the Shop!

Over the past month, I've been adding an affordable line of select hand-marbled paper to my online shop. These are papers I have a particular liking for...they catch my eye in some way: a perfectly executed traditional pattern, a lovely color palette, a stunning unique design. The inventory is always changing and I'm adding new papers once-a-week.

The best part: hand-marbled papers SHIP FREE (in the US)!

I'm excited to be shipping this one out to a sweet customer (who said kind words about my work) today:

Head on over to the store to check out the current inventory.

Marbling Class at BookArtsLA

I'm so excited to be teaching again at BookArtsLA next weekend (March 5-6). The facility is such a lovely place with lots of room and natural light to work in. And I have had such fun students in these classes ~ full of energy and enthusiasm with a fearless attitude toward playing in the marbling tank! I don't know how I keep getting so lucky!

I'll once again be teaching the popular 2-day Introduction to Marbling class. In this marbling immersion class, students will learn the nuts and bolts of the art form, dive into traditional pattern making (foundation and advanced patterns) using the large marbling tank, and have time for creative exploration. You'll leave with a robust understanding of the art form, dozens of marbled papers, and the confidence to start marbling at home.

Everything is provided. Just show up and have fun! To register, head on over to BookArtsLA's website.

Introduction to Marbling
Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
BookArtsLA
11720 Washington Place, Los Angeles

Practice Piece

I always start a marbling session with a couple of practice pieces. I'm testing the bath to see what it's doing and how the paints behave on it. But I'm also stretching my marbling muscles ~ like a singer who does vocal warm ups. Marbling is more physically demanding than most people realize and there are certain techniques that require superb hand-eye coordination so I want my body and my mind to be at the same place when I start working on the real stuff.

The thing is...usually these practice pieces end up being something really good. Something that actually makes me pause and go, "Oh, wow! That turned out great!" even though I'm not trying to do something good. I don't even think that hard about what colors I use, just grabbing the four of five closest to me and running with it.

Today's practice piece is no exception. I love it. I love the colors and how the design turned out. I guess I'm more conscious about my practice pieces than I realize...and that perhaps eight years of marbling experience coupled with not having any expectations from these first few pieces really frees up the creative mojo. And that's when magic slips in.

Available in the store.

A Weekend of Color

Loving these bright colors lately. Can't get enough.

Intersections. Squiggles. Ragged edges.

Weaving with color.

TAG: A Pop-up Exhibition in San Rafael, Calif.

Liz Kalloch and I are thrilled and downright GIDDY to be participating in a curated show opening next weekend in San Rafael, Calif. with two pieces from our collaborative project New Ground.

Liminal #1 (and its sister piece) ~ both created during our residency last summer ~ will be on display in TAG: A Pop-Up Exhibition of Contemporary Abstract Painting opening Saturday, February 27.

TAG curator, artist Joyce Conlon, selected Bay Area artists who are pushing the boundaries within their work and then asked those artists to invite or "tag" another artist for inclusion. Liz and I feel honored to have been "tagged" and are excited to have our work included alongside Sydney Cohen, Joyce Conlon, Ellie Fritz, Kimberly Rowe, and Bill Russell.

The exhibition takes place Saturday, February 27 (3 p.m. - 8 p.m.) and Sunday, February 28 (noon - 4 p.m.) at Mark Drive Studios (11 Mark Drive, San Rafael, CA).

And I'll be there! Yep ~ I'll be heading up to the Bay Area to proudly stand side-by-side with my creative partner-in-crime and chat with folks who stop by to check out the show.

Hope to see you there!

Then this Happened

From the studio yesterday.

Scenes from the Studio

It was a weekend full of private lessons. I love teaching in my studio where the energy and enthusiasm of students fill every nook and cranny and I can feel the vibes long after they are gone.

Studio preparations.

Never gets old ~ the joy of the first marbled piece!

Working the tanks.

Marbled pages from old photobooks where the pages are actual frames/thick mats. We took apart the binding and marbled each frame. They turned out beautiful.

Marbled pages from a very, very old ledger/journal.

Marbled leather strap.

Remnants

Leftovers in the tank.

Sometimes the thing I'm marbling on is smaller than the actual design in the tank, so when I pull the piece off the bath the leftover paint stretches to fill the gap. And you get something magical like this.

Studio Play

Sometimes I just play in the tank. No expectations. Not trying to do anything specifically. Just moved by color and whatever dance my bath wants to do.