Tell Me What You See

This is from a marbling session a couple of days ago. I hate the actual paper itself--it is a bear to work with--and was just messing around in the tank in order to use up the few pieces I had left. As is usually the case, a few days after I made this, I found it more appealing than when I first pulled it off the tank. And now I can't take my eyes off it. The circles in the middle fade in and out depending on the light. I walk with it from room to room just to watch it transform before my eyes.

One of the greatest pleasures I derive from being a marbling artist is hearing what people "see" in my pieces. It is better (and more telling probably) than the standard Rorschach test. It is for this very reason I rarely title my pieces...I don't want to influence/infect what is going on in the mind of the viewer.

So, dear Readers, if you have a moment, please humor me by letting me know what you see in this piece (or what feelings/emotions it conjures up).

I promise not to judge (but I can't rule out a raised eyebrow!).

Back in the Saddle

I'm in the studio today and am I ever glad to be back in it. It's a perfectly horrible day to marble--high temps, no humidity, and breezy--but you know what, I don't care. I just needed to get back to my slimy carragheenan, paint splatters, bamboo-skewer stylus, and Paynes Gray. After having the studio up and marbling every day for just over a month, I had to tear it down a few weeks ago because I was going to be gone for a significant amount of time on this trip and then this trip.

I was sort of shocked by how sad I was when I tore down my studio. I mean, a genuine loss-sadness seeped into my heart. Even on my trip to the beautiful central coast of California with my hubby, doing what I love to do up there with the person I love the most, I kept saying to Emmett, "I miss my studio." And I truly did. Nearly as much as my cat.

Earlier this year, when I was brainstorming about marbling projects, I promised myself I'd keep the studio set up for one solid month and marble every day. This is a departure from the way I usually marble where I set up the studio and marble three or four days straight, morning to evening, cranking out 50 or more sheets a day in my big tank, until both my bath and I are completely spent. Then I take a two-month break before setting it up and doing it all over again. I had been doing it this way for the past three years. Why? Because my general feeling was that there is so much prep and tear-down work involved in marbling that it is the most efficient way to do it. I also believed that once I get on a creative roll, I shouldn't interrupt it. You never know when the Marbling Muse will tire of you so you might as well use her up while she's there.

I had a very specific goal in mind when I decided to marble every day for a month: to nail down 50 or so traditional patterns so I could execute them perfectly at a moment's notice. I also wanted to become better at troubleshooting, which is a constant in the studio since there are so many variables in marbling. At the time, marbling every day seemed like an exhaustive idea, especially considering my typical studio experience described above, but a necessary one in order for me to up my level of play in the art form. So I just told myself I was going to have to suck it up, be brave, and go for it.

The reality was I didn't have to suck it up or be brave. Instead, something magical happened...and rather organically (paradox intended). Instead of getting into the studio first thing in the morning and staying until the sun set, I only spent a few hours a day in it. And they were not consecutive hours. They were spread throughout the day. I may have popped in there in the morning, done a few sheets to see how the bath and paints were reacting, and then covered the tank and left the studio to do life stuff like grocery shop or pay bills. Then I'd go back in there and spend an hour or two executing an idea before heading out to go for my daily walk or catching up on emails. Then before it was time to start making dinner, I'd hit the studio again, take a look at what I'd done in there for the day, and marble some more...sometimes tweaking an idea, sometimes just practicing a pattern.

The result was that I was much more relaxed. And definitely more creative. I was more willing to take risks and I was very okay with mistakes. I went into the studio every day fresh and clear minded. I may have produced FEWER papers overall (compared to my marathon marbling sessions) but what I did produce was MORE interesting. Even more fascinating to me was that when I was physically away from the studio, I was still mentally there, always thinking about my next move. It wasn't an obsessive thinking--it was more intuitive, but not distracting...they way your heart is always working in the background without you knowing it until you go for your run or hike or swim.

I didn't expect any of that to happen during my little month-long experiment. But it did and it has changed the way I view my studio. It's not a place I HAVE to go to. It's a place I GET TO go to. And I want that feeling every day--so I will make it happen. My studio is back up and it will stay that way for the foreseeable future...or at least until I'm "forced" to take it down again for another long vacation.

I couldn't be happier at this moment: paint stains on my fingers, ideas swirling in my head, even a little carragheenan in my hair (note to self: put your hair up when in the studio). Well, if the temps were cooler and the humidity higher I could be...but for now it's all good. Really, really good.

South Pasadena Arts Crawl: July 14 [UPDATED]

[UPDATE: The South Pas Arts Crawl date has changed to Saturday, July 14]

I'm thrilled to announce I will be participating in the South Pasadena Arts Crawl on Saturday, July 14 from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. And I'm even more thrilled that I'll once again be doing a marbling demonstration at Book 'em Mysteries, who graciously hosted me last time! I just love the energy owner's Mary and Barry continue to foster at their marvelous bookstore and I look forward to spending the evening fulfilling my goal of "bringing marbling to the masses." In addition to doing a demo, I will have papers, framed artwork, cards, and more for sale.

South Pasadena Arts Crawl Saturday, July 14 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Marbling Demonstration Book 'em Mysteries Bookstore 1118 Mission Street, South Pasadena

Texture of Invisible

I am absolutely thrilled that one of my pieces, Texture of Invisible, is now in the home of a happy customer, Phil, in Minnesota.

Dear Barb,

Voila! It arrived this morning, just as I was finishing my run. And does it ever look gorgeous above the bed in the main bedroom. Wow. Perfect. We love it.  The colors, the shapes, the sense of the organic, the oceanic and geographic, the biological.  A very evocative piece of work. Something both primal and sophisticated. We just stood and stared at it a long time after hanging it. The structure is fascinating--like some deep image of the human  bloodstream, or, hey, the texture of the invisible! We're going to be parading all of our guests in front of it and saying, "Get a good look at this."

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Looking forward to living with your artwork,

Phil

Texture of Invisible is one of my "early years" pieces and has been a favorite of mine for a long, long time. It's why I had it framed for my first art show last December. So when Phil contacted me about purchasing an existing piece or possibly commissioning one, and we had a discussion about what pieces of mine he was drawn to and why (design, style, colors, etc.), I knew Texture of Invisible had to be one of the dozen or so pieces I showed to him and his partner.

There's a small part of me that is sad to let the piece go. I know it's in a good home with people who appreciate it. And that's sort of the point of me wanting to become an artist--to share my creations. But this piece was extra special, one from a particular studio session that made me decide to "go for it" and take up marbling full time. I have one more piece from that session that I've framed and I've decided to keep it. It's a lovely reminder of the moment when everything changed.

In the mean time, I made this month's new banner out of a section of Texture of Invisible...just so I can hang on to it a little bit longer.

Experience the Tank: Three Hours of Nonstop Fun!

This weekend rocked. I cannot even begin to tell you what a thrill it was to teach my "Experience the Tank" class. The three-hour session is designed to expose people to the joys of marbling by learning a few patterns and then simply having a go at it in the tank. The participants in this weekend's class were wonderful! Beyond wonderful, actually! Annika, Steve, and Lori bravely stepped up to the tank and went for it. The result was beautiful.

I was so impressed by everyone's go-for-it attitude. I didn't hear anyone once complain about doing something "bad" or "wrong" (no such thing in my studio!). No one got frustrated and left feeling like they just couldn't get the marbling thing down. In fact, everyone wants to do it again!

Truth be told, I see myself less as a teacher and more of a "marbling messenger" with the goal of bringing marbling to the masses. I certainly don't expect people to quit their day jobs and become full-time marbling artists after taking my class. But I do hope participants walk away with a huge appreciation for the art form and a boost of confidence in their creativity. In return, I am inspired by what happens in the studio during these sessions. I get to see marbling fresh through the eyes of newbies (as I once was!) and it always sends me down a new path of color and technique explorations.

I will be doing a few more Experience the Tank classes this summer and early fall. If you're interested in taking the class, please email me at Cheers at BarbSkoog dot com and I'll put you on the notification list.

A big thanks to Steve, Annika, and Lori for trusting me to show them the thrill of marbling and for being such creative souls in the studio. And an even bigger thanks to Emmett...for everything behind the scenes and behind the lens (as the official class photographer)!

Experience and Experiment

I'm starting to rearrange my studio for my "Experience the Tank" class I'm teaching this weekend. I'm REALLY excited about it since the class is designed to give people the chance to play in the tank and experience the wonders of marbling without significant time investment. Most marbling classes are at least two full days...a must for anyone even slightly serious about picking up the art form. But sometimes you just want a little taste before diving in and that's what my class is about. Participants will learn how to make four basic patterns and another three or four "fancy" ones in the three-hour class. There will be a variety of paper colors and weights to play with too. And, as always in my studio, getting messy and experimenting will be strongly encouraged. And speaking of experimenting, here are some shots of pieces that came from my time in the studio last week.

Above: I love this one because it looks like someone shot at it and the white spots are bullet holes that look into the next room. It's wickedly wild.

Above: This is a quad-overmarble. Yep, I overmarbled four times. I wanted to see what kind of texture you could get before (and if) things got muddled. I also wanted to see if there was a significant difference between overmarbling two, three and four times. Turns out there is! I was very conscious of colors and color placement to ensure every layer was recognizable. In the end, I am extremely pleased with this piece. It was work to get it here (lots of planning and thinking things through) but worth it.

Above: I wanted to see if I could get my rings to look like ripples. I first tried doing a Spanish moire to the ring design on the bath but that didn't work out so well. It just looked like crooked, broken rings. So then I did a Spanish moire stone overmable on top of the rings and this is the result. Much better, but still not as impressive as I thought it would be.

A surprise rain descended upon us here in LA last night and an impending rain storm is supposed to hit Wednesday into Thursday, making the conditions for marbling excellent this week. So off to the studio I am...

Studio Update: No Time for an Update

I've been in the studio every day, cranking out some really fun stuff, and haven't had any time to take photos of my progress (let alone post anything). I will leave you with this one though. It's a piece I am particularly proud of and the photo does it no justice. As I spend more and more time in the studio, I can feel the "me" coming out in my work. I am so happy.

Sharing Studio Space

On Wednesday, I got to share my studio space with a delightful person.

Amanda saw me marble at the South Pasadena Arts Crawl last February. When her Brownies troupe asked its members to learn a new skill or hobby and then share it with the group, she asked her mom if she could learn how to marble.

Very. Cool.

There's something wonderful about seeing your art form through the eyes of a young girl. Even more wonderful is knowing that a new generation of marblers is on the horizon. There are no formal educational programs, schools, or even curriculum for marbling the way there are for other art forms like dance or writing or painting. That means the burden of ensuring the art form not only continues, but evolves, falls squarely on the shoulders of current marblers. And there are not a lot of us out there. Thankfully, many marblers are generous with their knowledge and are more than happy to share it. I've learned so much from both my marbling teachers in a formal educational setting as well as informal email exchanges with other marblers. Maybe that's another reason I like the art form so much...it feels like a treasured heirloom is being passed from one person to the next.

Before Amanda arrived, I manage to get some marbling time in. Here's a pic of my favorite for the day--another overmarble from my Monday play day. I am really diggin' the rings and what you can do with them.

Another Great Day in the Studio

So, what can I say? I love being in the studio. I marbled 20 sheets on Tuesday and here are a few of the highlights. Remember these pieces from my Monday session?

They were nice and all, and great for practice, but a little boring. So I overmarbled them.

How fun are these? They look much better in person but I hope you can still get a sense of the movement and layers in them. The git-gel in particular is quite funky, mind-messing mesmerizing when you're standing in front of it.

On Tuesday, I also played with colors and design  for one of my commissioned works. The client sent me paint and fabric samples from her newly redesigned first floor and I spent a considerable amount of time thinking about colors that will work well in her scheme. Specifically, I'm creating pieces to go in one room, but that room is the first one you see when you walk in the house, so it sorta sets the "home tone" when people walk in.

No pressure or anything.

She also specifically requested the feather pattern as well as one of my more "modern" pieces. Her interior designer sent me a three different layout ideas for a grouping of 10 framed pieces ranging in size from 4x6 all the way up to 20x25. So with all that in mind, I set to work.

These are just the start of a really fun project so I'm excited to keep working on it.

And now...back to the studio!

Hitting the Studio Hard

I made a promise to myself to work in my studio for one month straight sometime this year. The goal is to master some of the popular traditional patterns so I can do them perfectly even if blindfolded, drunk, and with one hand tied behind my back. Well, it turns out that time is now. I have two commissioned pieces I'm working on, I'm teaching a weekly private lesson for the next five weeks, and I have an Experience the Tank class I'm offering at the end of April. As long as I'm going to be in the studio for those things, I may as well be in the studio, period. So Sunday night I made my size, prepared my paints, pulled my tank and tools out, inventoried paper, and got my studio ready for me. I decided to set up my big tank this time since the last few times I've marbled in my smaller tank. This decision is significant because when one is just "practicing," it makes more economical sense to use the smaller tank. You can get four sheets of paper marbled in a small tank for every one marbled in a big tank. To put it another way, 10 sheets of large paper cost roughly $12. Ten sheets of small paper cost less than $3. And I can crank out 20 large sheets easily in a half day in the studio. So, yeah...setting up the big tank meant I was SERIOUS about my practicing.

But then I got in the studio. And, well...something happened. I had the urge to PLAY not practice.

For a while now, I've had an image in my head that I just needed to execute in the tank. And I felt it needed to be the big tank. So standing in front of it on Monday afternoon I just went for it.

These pieces aren't my most prized works. Nor do I know what I'm going to do with them or how they can be used in other mediums (like making journals or for collage). But not only did I have fun making them, I learned A LOT about placement of paint and the different effects one can create in the tank.

So in a way, I guess you could say I WAS practicing. Just because I didn't master the master patterns, doesn't mean I didn't master anything. Plus, it's only the first day in my month-long marbling marathon. There's plenty of time for tradition. After all, these marbling patterns have been around for centuries. A few more days isn't going to make a difference.

Mine.

This is me on Easter. I love this dress, which I got when I was sailing the British Virgin Islands with my mom on our Adventure Women trip. BUT...while all white is perfect for sailing, it's a bit drab when you're away from the waves. So I spruced it up with one of MY MARBLED SCARVES!!!!

I didn't think I would keep for myself any of the scarves I marbled from my recent class, but this one is now MINE.

41 for 41: Make a Marbling Coffee Table Book

Last year I attended a show my photographer friend, Ann, was participating in at a gallery in Marina del Ray. As I was wandering through the place taking in other artists' creations, I noticed one had a collection of her work in a book. Each page featured a single image. No words. Just a lovely visual journey through her work.  As I was thumbing through it, I realized she had simply created and printed a photo book from one of the digital photo printing websites like Shutterfly or Blurb. I thought that was brilliant! I loved it...so much so that when I created my 41 for 41 list, it was one of the first goals I wrote down!

It's not that I want an actual book of my work to be on coffee tables around the world (though now that I say that, why not?!). It's that I want to use this book as a sort of business card/portfolio/show-n-tell piece that I can carry with me (to whip out when someone asks, "what is marbling?"), give away (you can probably bet my mom is going to get one!), or give to someone with whom I intend to do business (like a gallery or juried art show).

My "coffee table book," however, isn't just digital images. In it's 20 pages, half of the work shown is the real deal. In other words, next to a digital image on a two-page spread, I've "tipped in" (or inserted) an original piece. Why? Because I want people to get a feel (literally and figuratively) for a "live" piece. I want them to be able to touch the paper (or canvas or wood) and see up close and personal how the art form behaves on it. And why not just do all original pieces? Because I have some pieces I love but they are no longer in my possession, either having been sold, are for sale, or were used for something like my hand-bound journals.

Right now I have three of these books. I intend to make some tweaks to a few pages and then order another five or 10 to have on hand. I'm thrilled with the way they turned out and can't wait to start putting them into action!

Hello, Spring!

My new header this month is in honor of the spring weather we're having here in LA. Rain, cool temps, sun, warm temps, rain, cool temps, sun, warm temps, rinse and repeat. Crocuses and tulips are already gone. Azaleas are on their way out. But my garden is starting to FINALLY burst. After a tough winter with failed crop after failed crop (come on, broccoli...why you gots to be so mean to me?!!), I'm counting on summer to bring me my beloved kale, scallions, beets, Kentucky wonder beans, tomatoes, and more. I'm sort of cheating here as the header comes from this piece, which was featured on my blog earlier this year. I'm not a good flower maker when it comes to marbling. Actually, I'm a horrible one. Catastrophic is probably a better word. You really should check out the work of this AMAZING marbling artist, Gafur Yakar. Dude does flowers like nobody's business.

Seriously, how insanely spectacular are these? Even the backgrounds are drop-dead gorgeous.

The Big Tank was Scary

Learning to marble on fabric was the next logical step for me in my pursuit of a higher marbling education, so to speak. The truth is, after marbling steadily for the past two years (and marbling on and off for the past five), I could have taught myself how to do it. And if I hadn't been able to find a fabric marbling class or make it to one this year (which was on my 41 for 41 list), I would have done just that. But when Pat's Arrowmont class was finally given the thumbs up, I jumped on it. I really prefer learning in a hands-on classroom setting, feeding off other students' energy and having the immediate feedback of an experienced instructor, as opposed to being isolated in my studio and trying to make sense of written instructions. That's just the way I work.

The biggest difference in marbling on fabric over paper is the prep and post work involved. With paper, you just alum, marble, rinse, and set out to dry...all in a span of 15 minutes. Done. Fabric, on the other hand, needs to be washed, dried, alumed, air dried, and then ironed before you even BEGIN marbling on it. Once it's marbled, the fabric needs to air dry again and sit for three or so days to cure and then you do an "aggressive rinse." Then air dry (again) and let the fabric rest (again) for another week before doing a final hand wash, air dry, and heat set with an iron (again, again, and again).

Whew! It's exhausting just writing about it. I think I washed and ironed more this past weekend than I have in my entire life (which isn't really saying much since Emmett has done our laundry for the past 20 years. But still...).

The second most notable difference in marbling on fabric versus paper is the size of the tank one uses. Now, one can easily marble fabric in any size tank. For half the class I marbled in a standard 18" x 20" tank. BUT...to marble things such as long scarves or large cuts of fabric, you need a bigger tank. Our class went all out and set up one that was 25" x 75," otherwise known as The Monster Tank.

And a monster it was! Holy Intimidating, Batman! Staring down into The Monster Tank, all that open bath to be designed on, needing to rapidly lay down paint so a film doesn't develop on the surface and then laying down fabric before it all starts to break down...AAAAAHHHHH!!! Remember how you felt as a kid the first time you were standing at the end of the diving board that was 15-feet high above the community pool you had been swimming in all summer long? You had been diving off the low diving board for months, no problem. Back dives even! You love the water. You love jumping into the water. You love a thrill. But there you are, WAY up there on the "high dive," that water WAY down there, and your courage nowhere to be found. THAT'S how I felt when I first looked into The Monster Tank. And if I felt that way about the tank as an experienced marbler, I can only imagine what was going on in the minds of the my fellow classmates, all of whom were marbling NEWBIES!!

But our wonderful teacher Pat soon gently coaxed us to The Monster Tank with sweet, encouraging words of support, calming our fears and assuaging our concerns ("I'm right here next to you. You'll be fine. I won't let go of your hand until you're ready."). And then, when we had swallowed our fears and were ready to make the jump, she went all Drill Sargeant on us (well, as Drill Sargent as one can be when you're smiling and excited to take your students to the next level): "What's your plan? You have to have a plan before you begin!" "Lay that paint down, NOW!" "Don't let that drip back into the tank...get it into the rinse bucket!" Her sense of urgency, of course, was more than completely justified...it was totally necessary. When it comes to The Monster Tank, there is no time to mess around. And quite honestly, without Pat's stern but guiding hand, I don't think any of us would have dared to try, let alone have survived, The Monster Tank. We certainly wouldn't have ended up with the magnificent pieces of fabric that we did.

After our initial fears were beaten into submission by Pat ("there's no time to be afraid, we've got lots of fabric to marble"), there was no stopping us. Suddenly we were vying for Monster Tank time and Pat went from Drill Sargent to referee.

Despite the extra steps and the BIG, SCARY TANK, I fell in love with marbling on fabric. Like with paper, there are so many different kinds of fabric to marble on giving you a variety of effects. I was particularly enamored with the raw silk one of the participants brought in. I also liked marbling on hemp canvas...which is the perfect material for making PLACEMATS!!

As I mentioned earlier, I love being around other marblers and this was no exception. From Wanda's technical wizardry to Kathy's enthusiasm, from Shasha and Missy's deep love for bright, bold patterns to Laura's quiet but adventuresome experimentation with materials and Karen's go-for-it attitude, I couldn't have been surrounded by a better group of people. They reinforced my passion for the art and got me to break out of my marbling routine and try new things.

And all of this occurred on the lovely campus of the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Arrowmont has some of the best, most well equipped and organized studios I have ever been in making it one of my favorite places to take a class. I couldn't recommend the place more.

The marbled fabric pieces I made in class are home with me now. They have gone through their second rinsing and at this very moment are hanging to dry on clothesline I have strung inside my garage. I keep making excuses to go out there just so I can see them again and again--I'm THAT in love with them. I'm dying to put them to use too...scarves as gifts, fat quarters for quilting, large pieces for sun shades for my inside studio, smaller pieces for placemats and napkins! And, believe it or not, I can't wait to build my own Monster Tank. Once I do, you're more than welcome to come over and face the beast yourself--IF YOU DARE!

Take a Fabric Marbling Class: CHECK!

I just got back from an extended weekend class at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts where I took a fabric marbling class from the amazing Pat K. Thomas. I'm exhausted, my dogs are barkin', and I need a few days to of quiet to balance the high coming off this weekend. I'll post more later about this incredible experience but wanted to share with you a few shots of my resulting work.