Moroccan Leather Anyone?

Paper, Paper Everywhere and Everything Is Lovely

A few weeks ago my bookbinding teacher, who is an amazing artist of many stripes and shapes, did a paper marbling demonstration at his synagogue.  Saying it was very cool is a gigantic understatement.  I'm pretty much obsessed with paper marbling now and already have plans to add a paper marbling bath to my home studio (which only exists in my mind at this point).  In case you were wondering about paper marbling, enjoy the following:


A Little Bit of History: 
The beginnings of paper marbling come from Turkish/Islamic origins.  The Turks were really the masters and developed the process and some of the tools used today.  Marbling was developing in parts of India and Persia during the 17th-19th centuries as well, though Europe has perhaps the most commonly known association with paper marbling as they have been doing it since the 17th century.

Evidently, the first American money had marbling on it!  Thank you Benjamin Franklin. I haven't independently confirmed this, so if anyone knows anything about it I would love to learn. 

The Wikipedia page has some good info and some great examples. 


A Little Bit of Process:
You take a large bath of a mixture of things - water &special chemicals - and then you drip special paint mixed with oxgall (just what it sounds like - gall of an ox) into the mixture.

The paint stays on the surface and depending on a few factors (how much oxgall, the thickness of the paint, the consistency of the water/chemical solution) it will spread out.

Once the paint is applied, you take either a single needle looking tool, or a large rake tool that extends the width/length of the bath and rake patterns into the wet paint.  This was my favorite part and each time my teacher would rake the paint a new direction there were oooohhhs and aaahhhhs at the result.

Then you lay the paper carefully down on top of the paint, making sure there are no air bubbles, and after a few seconds you pull it away from the bath.  The paper has been treated with alum so the paint bonds to the paper immediately.  You rinse off any residue on the paper and let the awesomeness dry.
I am so obsessed I made a cheesecake this week and tried to marble the top of it with chocolate batter. The marbling turned out fantastic...the cheesecake, on the other hand, was not so fantastic.  

I bought a few marbled papers from a local artist at the demonstration and couldn't wait to make a wee little book with it.  I am making a sister book to send to Rick Steves in thanks for spreading his travel gospel.  Is that too stalker-ish? 

A Book, a book...and a book

As often happens, I get started on one project that kind of spirals into several. I do a lot of work in a flurry and then don't make anything for a while. But whatever. It's my art and that's the way I want to do it :) So, I finished the book I mentioned previously...and a few others.

This book will be a photo album from our time in Jerusalem.  Max is going to write Israel/Palestine in Hebrew and Arabic (respectively) and I'll put it in that indented space on the front.  It opens left to right, like Arabic and Hebrew books do.  I made this paste paper (not the paper itself, but the design on it) a few weeks ago and it was the only one to turn out decent from the whole batch.  I chucked the rest.  BUT I am going to try and make some more paste paper this weekend.  I'll blog about my results if things turn out well.

This book deserves a little note and a thanks to my Mom.  Someone came to visit us when we first got here and she offered to bring something for us.  I wanted paper.  My Mom probably thought I was a little loony, but paper she sent - this orange mosaic piece among them.  I don't know if my Mom always understands me, but she supports me and that means a lot.  She's the best.

This book is made of one signature (folded pieces of paper).  It's a good way to make a sturdy little book.

What I've Been Making

I'm really excited about this series of journals I'm working on.  The second one has a picture of the Western Wall and if I do a third it will have an illustration of The Holy Sepulcher.  For you nerds out there, I sewed them on linen tapes and bound them with a traditional flat back case binding.  I used hand marbled paper I got in Siena, Italy last year for the fly pages and hand sewed head bands on top and bottom with the bead on the spine (not pictured).  I'm taking an Adobe Illustrater classes online again (lynda.com - you are the best thing since my Max) and the illustrations are original.    I'm thinking about making some sort of clamshell box or slip case to house them when I decide how many volumes I want.   

The second is a leather binding with a diamond shape spine pattern.  I'm not sure what I'll use it for...but I have visions of myself camping out in the old city and drawing so maybe I'll use it as a sketch book or a place to put finished paintings of the old city.  You know, when I actually get back to painting...