My Advanced Marbling Techniques class drops this Thursday!!! In anticipation I wanted to share a little of the backstory on the inspiration behind it.
Historically, marbling techniques were closely guarded secrets, often passed down within specific families or artisan guilds. These techniques were shrouded in secrecy and confined to a select few who had the privilege of learning them through direct apprenticeship or familial inheritance. Such exclusivity meant that marbling remained relatively inaccessible to outsiders for a significant part of its history.
However, as time progressed and societies evolved, there was a growing desire to share knowledge and expand artistic practices beyond exclusive circles. With the advent of industrialization and advancements in printing technology, there arose a need to reproduce marbled patterns on a larger scale.
This demand for wider accessibility led to the dissemination of marbling techniques beyond traditional confines. Artisans and practitioners started to publish books, manuals, and treatises detailing the intricate processes involved in marbling. These publications served as crucial resources, making marbling techniques available to a broader audience.
The techniques covered in this class were taught to me by Regina St. John who is one half of the duo known as The Chena River Marblers. Throughout all the classes I’ve taken with the pair, they have been quick to stress the importance of knowledge sharing so that patterns live on beyond “just our memory”. Their mission- to ignite a passion for marbling innovation, empowering marblers of the 21st-century to not only embrace historical patterns but also forge their own distinct patterns that reflect their place in time. By recording these techniques, and making them available online I aim to further that mission of making sure these techniques are more widely available. And you in turn can do your part to keep these patterns in the collective consciousness by taking the class, learning the steps and adding your own flair.
Happy Marbling!