I'm Supposed to be Cleaning Out the Studio...

I blocked out the next two weeks ~ no appointments, no meetings, no lunch or dinner dates, NOTHING ~ specifically with the intention of cleaning out my marbling studio. I have so many projects going on right now that I need to re-arrange how I store things and where I store things. I also want to give the studio a fresh coat of paint and put up some new shelving units and add some framing so that I can actually hang some of my work properly. But then my hubby and I went on a walk last night and came across dozens of magnolia leaves on the ground, dried out and in various stages of browns and yellows and I knew exactly what I was going to be doing today. Temps are supposed to hit triple digits starting tomorrow through the end of the week so I knew a "regular" marbling session would be impossible...but a MARBLE-ON-LEAVES marbling session was totally doable! So I came home, made a batch of bath, alummed the magnolia leaves and eucalyptus leaves (also snagged from the walk) as well as some canvas boxes I wanted to experiment with.

Yep. It's gonna be a fun day. (I'll post results tomorrow.)

They Did Two Ketubahs!

The wedding day came and our friends could not decide which marbled mat they wanted for their ketubah so they did what any good, non-traditional couple from LA would do ~ they had TWO ketubahs. Hey, if one is good then two must be great, right?! So they now have ketubahs adorned with Options B and C...exactly the two favorites you all picked!

As I mentioned previously, I gave them a total of six marbled mats from which to choose. They were able to narrow it down to three, which I posted here. And below are the three that didn't make it to the final round ~ though not because they didn't like them. I'm pretty sure if they had enough wall space for six ketubahs, they would have taken all six!

I learned a lot about marbling on mats this size ~ what you can and can't do, what looks better, the time involved to marble one, and more importantly, how much fun it is! If you're ever in need of a special gift (for a wedding, anniversary, new baby, etc.), you may want to consider a marbled mat. This is the fourth time I've marbled mats for people (this official document, two poems, and an engagement photo) and I'm always delightfully surprised at how beautiful it looks ~ not only the mat but how it enhances the piece it's framing! It truly is a one-of-a-kind gift!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

I am simply thrilled that friends of mine asked me to be a part of their wedding by marbling their ketubah. But rather than marble the actual document (check out some of the amazing decorated ketubahs), I suggested that I marble a mat which can then be framed. They loved the idea. Thankfully so, too! You only get one ketubah and the thought of messing it up and not being able to fix it was nerve racking. If I screwed up a mat, I could at least go out and get a hundred more to work on. After talking to them about color schemes and art direction (which pieces of mine they liked and wanted me to emulate), I set to work in the studio. I have marbled on mats before but none this large ~ 16" x 20". I was used to marbling on much smaller mats ~ 4" x 6" and 5" x 7". With these smaller mats, there is actually not a lot of space to marble on so the design has to be more simple. But faced with a heck of a lot more surface area on the larger mat, my options were quite endless. Translated, this means I had a TON OF FUN exploring what I could do to give them not just a marbled mat but a really cool piece of art.

Earlier this week, I presented to them six marbled-mat creations and asked them to let me know if the colors were right and if they were liking the designs I was creating. My intention was to then tweak things and do one more round.

Well, they loved what they saw. They loved all six of the mats and didn't want me tweaking anything!

So now the pressure is off me and on them; they have to pick the one mat that they would like to have frame their ketubah. Turns out, this is easier said than done.

After narrowing it down to three, they still can't decide. And this is where I turn to you...

Can you help them out a bit? Which mat do you like best? Let me know by leaving your vote in the comments!

Option A

Option B

Option C

And next week, I'll post the other three that didn't make it to the final round. There's one in there that I am madly in love with!

Pusher Paints: Playing with Space and Confinement

I love laying down "pusher paints" (paints that spread like mad on the surface of the bath) last on the bath in order to create really tight veins as seen above. The intense colors created by the veins combined with the billowy-cloud effect of the pusher paints makes a lovely combination.

Here's a close up ~ the pusher paints I used are the white and lighter blue bubbles while the squished colors are red, yellow, black, and dusty blue:

A similar effect (creating tight rivers of color) can be made by using a dispersant. The technical name for that kind of pattern is Italian Vein. The difference, however, is that when one uses a dispersant, it creates "holes" in the patterns, allowing the surface of the paper to be exposed. By using pusher paints, I can incorporate color into the overall piece while still getting those awesome veins.

Using most of my favorite colors, I made this piece this weekend after a long, six-hour studio session where I was intently focused on finishing a commissioned project. It was just the care-free, colorful relief I needed to get out of my head and into my heart!

Work in Progress

I'm not sure where I'm going with this...I'm just along for the ride. Photo of a backstreet temple in India on wood panel (18" x 24").  

First marble:

And then an overmarble:

More needs to happen with this piece. Right now it's sitting in my marbling studio while I'm working on a commissioned project. And when inspiration strikes, I'll be ready.

April Header

The full image for this month's header comes from the miniature series I worked on a year ago...and as I write this it reminds me I need to get back to the small tank again.

My small tank is 5" x 7" and my paper is 4" x 6" or smaller. Technically, that's not miniature. But it's definitely small. There are so many interesting things you can do in a smaller tank that just aren't possible in a larger one. And when you do do something that is possible in both tanks, the effect is very different. And I like different. In the example above, I pulled a stylus (in this case a straight pin) through stones (more like pebbles). I think that in smaller tanks, you get more bang for your buck with this technique ~ the design is more defined and dramatic.

In my two-day Introduction to Marbling class, students have three different tank sizes to experiment in ~ and the small one is one of them. Since we always start off in the big tank (20" x 25"), it's a bit of a stumbling block for some to switch gears so dramatically. But once they get the hang of it (you really have to pay attention to the amount of paint you are using), they let go and have fun, especially with the stylus.

I rarely name my pieces but this one I did. I call it, "Kelp." When I am snorkeling near a thick kelp bed, this is sort of what you see when you're looking down toward the ocean floor.

And this is what the fish see when they look up:

I think we have the better view!

Papers from the Arts Crawl

I am usually bone tired after a doing a demo, especially after the South Pasadena Arts crawl which is three hours long and goes until 9 p.m. Afterwards, I have to tear down, drive home, unpack everything from the car, wash up tools and tanks, and put everything back where it belongs in the studio. The last thing I do is put my papers under heavy boards to flatten. Then I hit the sack and sleep right on through to the next day!

It's usually a few days later that I get around to really looking at the papers I made during the demo. I always think I do a "hack" job while demoing mostly because my full attention is not on the tank. And because takes me longer than normal to create a piece because I'm talking through the process and answering questions along the way, the bath starts to get very dusty and very cranky. I try to tell myself to be chill about it all...that people don't notice the dust spots and disintegrating paints and unclean lines the way I immediately do when I pull a paper from the bath. After all, I'm going for purpose here, not perfection. I'm simply trying to share the magic of marbling with others and raise awareness of the art form. Mission accomplished.

When I eventually get around to looking at the demo papers a few days later, I am always pleasantly surprised by what I find. Sure, the flaws are still there but that's not what hits me first. What hits me first is exactly what people watching my demo see when a piece is pulled from the bath: pure, uncomplicated beauty and the joy of making it.

And that trumps dust spots any day!

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="9242,9241,9239,9238,9237"]

Bookmark-a-Cause

I am so, so excited to share with you my latest project: Bookmark-A-Cause.

For over a year I've been trying to figure out a way to tie my artwork into a charitable cause. When I ran Hope's Flame ("candles for those who believe a little hope can go a long way"), a portion of all of my sales went to one of three non-profit organizations I passionately supported. It was an easy and natural fit ~ candles and charity. But with my artwork, simply saying a portion of sales went to a great cause felt very forced. People buy art because it speaks to them, not because they want to support a charity. And my artwork is a different price point than my candles. People might by a $10 candle just to support a cause but they are not going to buy a $150 piece of art just to support one.

This summer, a friend of mine had a book published and she approached me about making bookmarks she could give away as gifts. I mocked up a few ideas but in the end she decided not to do it. However, I was left with a handful of great bookmarks and as I started to use them myself, I felt pulled toward the ones I made using canvas.

And that's when it hit me ~ hand-marbled bookmarks + non-profit organizations = A WIN! I had found a way to align my work with a cause. And it felt very right.

I love marbling on canvas but it does have its challenges ~ the larger weave makes it difficult to marble a delicate or more intricate pattern or design. Instead, I tend to marble what I call "movement" designs ~ images that create a sense of fluidity. I also do a lot of overmarbles to add depth and texture. As a larger piece, I'm never a fan of my canvas creations, but when I cut them down to bookmark size (2"x8"), they are fantastic. As the saying goes, "the devil is in the details," and wowzer, if that isn't true with these bookmarks. Sometimes I find myself staring at my bookmark instead of reading my book!

My first round of 100 bookmarks will be available at the South Pasadena Arts Crawl this Saturday, March 8. They are $5 and proceeds benefit SPACE Arts Center in South Pasadena. I'll have them at Book'em Mysteries Bookstore (1118 Mission Street) where I'll be doing my marbling demonstration from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. They will also be available at SPACE (1506 Mission Street).

And I would be terribly remiss if I didn't mention that all the canvas is being donated by Artist Brand Canvas, a family-owned and operated company selling stretched canvas to artists for over 43 years. All their materials are American made and their wood is sourced from a company using sustainable practices. And remember how said marbling on canvas has its challenges ~ well, their canvas is the ONLY canvas I have been able to marble on 100% successfully. It is such high-quality ~ with no fillers or crappy chemicals that interfere with the binding process (which is the main problem with other canvas...the paint slides right off!). I'm not getting paid by them  to say this. I truly believe in their product and am THRILLED they are part of the Bookmark-a-Cause family!

The Local and Me

In December, I had the distinct honor of being asked by the owner of The Local, an eco-friendly, organic hair salon in North Hollywood, if I would be willing to exhibit some of my artwork there. Rosie has been doing my hair ever since I moved to California (more than 10 years!) and when she opened The Local last year, she committed to having a rotating exhibit of local artists on her walls. She also participates in NoHo's LitFest, providing a space for writers to do their readings. For Rosie, her business is as much about being engaged and involved with the surrounding community members as it is about styling their hair.

Rosie's place has a modern, soft contemporary feel to it; exposed brick, steel and black-wood fixtures, high ceilings and exposed beams. I knew immediately that my floating frames made with wood backgrounds and steel hardware would be a perfect fit.

I also brought in several pieces from the marbled wood panels series I worked on this summer and hung them around the reception area.

But what I was most excited about was that she had large, white walls reaching forever into the sky in which I could FINALLY show off my "monster-tank" creations ~ marbled papers measuring 26" x 40".

I am so honored that Rosie wanted to have my artwork in her salon. And I'm thrilled that I have a body of work that fits perfectly in the beautiful, inviting setting she's created. I hope you get a chance to stop by and check it out ~ and also get pampered by Rosie or one of the other great stylists at The Local.

The Local Salon 5229 Lankershim Blvd North Hollywood, CA 91601 www.TheLocalSalon.com

January Header

I just love seeing my pieces from many different angles, distances, and perspectives. In this case, getting *very* up close and personal with this piece, which this month's header comes from, feels so different than stepping back and looking at the whole picture.

This piece is from one of my favorite series that came out of my summer session: the Amoeba Series. The series started as an exploration of creating interesting backgrounds on which to overmarble. When I teach, I like to show my students how surface tension and the order in which the paints are thrown affect color. I do this by laying down the same color over and over again. This way they can see that the one color comes out in various shades, making it look like you threw four or five or six different paint colors even though you only threw one. The more often I demoed this and the more I perfected a particular technique, I started to see something interesting...the end result was what I can only describe as cloud or cotton-ball like. And this is what I was exploring when I created a ton of backgrounds sheets.

Since the background themselves were so intriguing and could stand on their own, I knew the next step ~ the overmarble ~ needed to be understated yet dramatically complementary. I did not want to cover up or hide that gorgeous background but whatever was on top needed to be strong and stand on its own as well.

A few weeks later, I was playing around with dispersant to see what kind of unique shapes I could make and that's when I decided to combine the two techniques ~ and the Amoeba Series was born.

The pieces in this series are so thought provoking to me and I had a hard time picking which one I wanted to use to create the header this month ~ especially because of the different look and feel it creates when the original is resized and cropped. It took me a while to warm to this header ~ I was so into the background that I didn't give much thought to the overmarble (the "amoeba"). But now I am in love with the fluidity and the texture of the overmarble ~ I want to ride those waves and rivers and see where they take me!

I'm Really Liking Marbling on Wood Panels

More playing around with ideas for a commission. I'm going for a contemporary, soft industrial feel. These are also on wood, either 6"x6" or 8"x8".

Playing in the Studio Again

Messing around with some ideas for a commission....these aren't quite finished yet but I think I know what my next step will be. I love an evolution! 6"x6", marbled wood, vintage dictionary page, edges painted white.

October's Open Studio

As always, I welcome the chance to have students join me for Open Studio! September's Open Studio was a packed house and it was such a blast to see the studio filled with creative souls and great marbled pieces! The next Open Studio will be held THIS WEEKEND on Sunday, October 13 and Monday, October 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Available to former and current students or anyone with prior marbling experience, Open Studio is great for those who want to continue to practice marbling but who may not have the space to set up their own studio. Or maybe you want to test out a new tank size! I'll have the large tanks (20"x25") available as well as the half tank (15"x19"), medium tanks (11"x14"), and the small tank (5"x7"). While I don't teach during this time, I am in the studio to answer any questions. For more information about Open Studio, click here.

To sign up, send me an email (Cheers "at" BarbSkoog "dot" com) with the date(s), time frame, and tank size you want to work in. Looking forward to seeing you!

Creative Binge

Or shall I call it a Creative Bender? In either case, that's what I've been on the past three weeks. And it was a total surprise to me. Total. What started out as simply taking advantage of the perfect marbling weather (humidity! cooler temps!) quickly turned into serious, full-time studio days where I couldn't stop digging deep into exploration and experimentation...and along the way created a few new series of works. That, coupled with the fact that my computer died (BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH, thank you Microsoft!) and I was so exasperated with just the *idea* of having to start over with a new system that I simply avoided it for a week (denial is a beautiful thing) ~ well, let's just say it opened up A LOT of space in the ol' noggin and the next thing I knew, creativity had taken over.

So yeah, I've been in the studio every day for the three weeks (even busted out the MONSTER TANK) and almost completely unplugged the whole time. I do feel a bit out of touch with folks and behind on what's happening with the important people in my life that live far away from me, but the studio results make it worth it.

Here's a peek at just a few of the things I was working on:

Underneath Series ~ this one has been a challenge for me (it involves a lot of tape, plastic, and black paint!) and I've changed directions several times. This is one direction I'm particularly fond of ~ though I'm not done playing around with ideas for this concept and doubt it will be the final direction I end up going.

Distressed Wood Series ~ except it's not wood! I really liked some of the marbled wood pieces I did for Triptych Fusion and wondered if I could create the same effect on paper. You know what? You can! Took me a while to figure out what paper, techniques, and paints worked best but once I did, it was so much fun to do! As usual, these look better in person but hopefully you get a sense of what is happening here.

Funky Design Series ~ Self-explanatory. And REALLY fun to do. I had to do a ton of background papers first, which was very zen, and then I overmarbled the funky designs on them. Very satisfying to complete. And did I mention fun too?!! What I like about this series is that it is reflective of what is going on in my mind and what my mood is like at the time I created it. Free therapy!!

Amoeba Series ~ a riff on the Funky Design series AND done in the Monster Tank (papers measure 25.5" x 40" and my tank is 30" x 45").

Back to the List of Projects-in-Progress

Before heading into Triptych Fusion, I had a long list of projects I was actively involved in or about ready to dive into. Then Triptych Fusion came along and my attention was 100% focused on creating for the show, orchestrating details, and promoting ~ something that absolutely had to be done and I was more than happy to do. But now that the show is behind me and the ripple effect is coming to an end, I am able to get back to the projects and ideas I had put on the back burner. And one of those projects was with the talented artist Amy Siu. Back in July, I did a quick post about our collaboration where she is writing inspirational words and quotes in her beautiful script and calligraphy on my marbled papers. Amy does not live near me. She lives hundreds of miles away. So our process involves me making papers, cutting them down to size to fit into cards and mats, sending them to her, her writing on them, and then returning them to me. Everything happens in stages so it can be weeks (and in this case, months) before the end product is revealed. It's another lesson in patience for me (seems to be a theme this year).

So when I got our first round of efforts back to me, I was thrilled to death with the results. I thought they looked beautiful. Amy's talent is off-the-charts ~ her work is stunning. And it was obvious she put a lot of thought into making sure the words and quotes matched the energy of the marbled paper. Holding that first batch of work in my hands confirmed to me how perfect this collaboration was going to be.

And then this happened...

I spent a couple of days this week finishing off our joint effort by putting the papers into their card frames and mats and OH MY GOODNESS IT TOOK THINGS TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL!

It's amazing how even the simplest of "finishing touches" can take something from beautiful to gorgeous in a heartbeat.

Amy and I are in the process of exchanging another round of work and I wish I could snap my finger and make it all happen FASTER! But alas, I'll just have to take a chill pill and let it all unfold at a slower pace. And that's fine too. My intention is to sell the notecards and mats at Peach Tree Gallery's annual holiday show and that's not until December. Technically, we're ahead of the game. And by my count...winning it too!!