Marbling Paper (AKA The Best Day Ever)

A good friend and fellow artist, Miss Molly Charest (of Carnivorous Books), came to school to teach seventh and eighth graders how to marble paper. And it was pretty much the best thing ever.

The process of marbling looks a bit like dropping food coloring into water. We began by gently dropping droplets of paint into a tub of water (well, special water). The paint expanded and grew and danced on the surface. Students added whatever other colors they wanted, and then used special rakes and other utensils to push and pull the design around (marbling it). A lot of students created very meticulous designs; others went all out and mixed, and mixed (and mixed).

Next, students gently placed paper (well, special paper) on the surface of the water, being careful to not press too hard. Essentially, this "prints" the paint from the water onto the paper. Finally, the paper was briefly rinsed and then laid to dry.

Overall, the process was really fun and experimental, and students achieved truly amazing results. Below are four beautiful examples from the eighth grade:

And finally, here is my new favorite video: two students experimenting with marbling paper for the first time. The best:

Portrait Prints

This year, sixth grade learned about Die Brucke (literally: The Bridge), a small movement within the greater Abstract Expressionist trend in early 20th century Germany. Students and I mostly discussed why an artist would paint/print sad, abstract faces, when he could have very well painted realistically. Why go abstract? Why go sad? Students decided it was because the artist thought expressing emotion was more important than being realistic. Students also proposed that the artists may have been sad, depressed, etc. I think they were correct on both accounts.

Here are some examples of prints made by Die Brucke artists:

And here are some beautiful (and colorful) prints made by the sixth grade: