How to Make Marbleized Paper in 5 Easy Steps - by Annette Labedzki

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Paper marbleizing is a very old tradition originating in Japan. The process can be addictive because it is so much fun and quite easy to do. The method is also applied on fabric, handmade paper, ornaments, rocks, and seashells to name a few.

In this article I will explain how to create marbleized paper in 5 easy steps.

         

         1. Water and Tub.

         2. Types of Paper.

         3. Assortment of Paints.

         4. Techniques.

         5. Drying, Pressing and Beautiful Results.

 

Before we begin you should have a well ventilated area work space whether it’s in the garage or basement. Your work station should be protected with plastic sheets or newspaper. Keep lots of newspaper on hand for easy clean up as well. Use rubber gloves or surgical gloves to protect your hands. You will also need a few plastic spoons.

 

1. Water and Tub.

You need a shallow plastic tub filled with approximately 2/3 of luke warm water. The temperature is very important. Don’t make the water to cold or to warm, or the paint will not float properly. Place the tub on your protected work surface. The size of the tub depends on the size of paper you want to use. I would suggest a medium to small size tub to start with.

 

2. Types of Paper.

The paper you should use must be of medium weight. I found that almost all types of paper work fine however make sure that your paper isn’t too thin because you don’t want it to disintegrate in the water! The size of your paper must fit into the tub, so at least one inch smaller than the size of your tub, and you can use an additional assortment of smaller sizes. I always keep a few stacks of different sizes placed beside my tub. The paper should be white or ivory in color.

 

3. Assortment of Paints.

The type of paint you use is important. It can not be water soluble. The purpose of the paint is that it must float on the water. You can buy a marbling kit from a craft store, however I prefer to use enamel paints from the hardware store. You can start with 4-5 different colors. Choose black, red, yellow, green and blue for now. As some of these colors swirl around on the water, new colors will automatically be created. The only tools you will need are plastic spoons. Make sure your work area is well ventilated while you work.

 

4. Techniques.

This is the fun part! Use your plastic spoon to remove some paint and drizzle it gently all over the surface of the water. You can do this with 2 or 3 colors and create some interesting drizzled lines. More effects can be created by blowing in the paint in certain areas and also using a toothpick or the plastic spoon to twirl the paint around gently. Quickly yet gently lay your sheet of paper on the paint. Gently tap on the paper to remove any air bubbles. Lift the paper from left to right or right to left. Flip over and place on floor to dry. You will love the surprising and beautiful results. Repeat the process and once in a while you can place some newspaper on the surface of the water to clean the area.

 

5. Drying, Pressing, and Beautiful Results.

Continue the process, experimenting with different colors and sizes of paper. Place them on a covered floor or table to dry. Drying times vary depending on how much paint and what types of paint you used.  The results are amazing! If you have white blotches, these are air bubbles that left a white mark. So just keep experimenting and have fun! When your works are dry press them under something heavy to flatten. You can make cards, gift tags, and wrapping paper.

 

Most importantly, practice, practice, practice, and have fun!

 Please take a moment to visit my website at www.labedzki-art.com

Other artists are welcome to join. Just click on the "join for free" button on the very top right hand corner. 

 

 

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Notes from an Art Student, September 8th,1988-In Search of Inner Peace - by Annette Labedzki

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The student’s project is called “In Search of Inner Peace.” She decided to paint a face to see how well she would execute the image without actually having a model before her. She left her eyes uncovered by wire because the eyes are searching and asking the questions. They prove that she is in fact SEARCHING. The wire is a symbol that in fact she does not have inner peace at the moment. The lock is a symbol of her being locked within herself. She is on the journey of self-discoveries. She also wants to be locked into solitude until she finds the inner peace. The lock is a symbol of protection. She doesn’t want any negative influences that could prolong her quest for inner peace. When the wire and lock unveil themselves she definitely portrays a peaceful feeling. Again, the artist wanted to keep the project as simple as possible. In order to bring her point across in a clear and concise manner! Some people might think she is in prison but that is not what the art student had intended to express. Who knows she might add or change something before Monday when the project is due, but for now she will just analyze it the way it is and see what happens…Right now she is trying to decide whether or not she should add little portraits at the top of her head to represent the different parts of her which she is trying to unite. The wire over her mouth symbolizes silence. Silence is not negative but rather positive. Silence is the condition of being quiet or silent, absence of sound.

Susan Sontag wrote “ By silence (the artist) frees  himself from servile bondage to the world…Once he has surpassed his peers, his pride has only one place left to go , the craving for silence is to be superior to everyone else. It suggests that the artist has had the wit to ask more questions than other people, and that he possesses stronger nerves and higher standards of excellence.”

The artist feels that one of the safest ways to achieve inner peace is to be silent for awhile. Sometimes it is healthier to listen rather than speak. She decided to add the circular wooden pieces to the back of the canvas and paint them to match the portrait. These circles will symbolize parts of her mind where she can relax and search for inner peace.

As far as the colors are concerned; the polka dots show that the student is having fun! Black is beautiful, red is warmth and yellow is peace.

 

About the project the class said: trapped, sickly color of skin, spiritual, polka dots threw him off, trapped within the fashion world! The critiques are wonderful. It’s really important to give critiques and to receive critiques. It is important to hear what individual people think! One girl said the color “yellow” of the girl’s skin made her look sickly. Even though the student didn’t really agree with her, it nevertheless is interesting to know that one can fall into traps like that. The student could have portrayed the girl “In Search of Inner Peace” in such a way that she doesn’t look trapped. Given the time allowed to creating the project there wasn’t enough time to be objective. Then also the art student’s objectivity is still only subjective! Sometimes negative minds look at things negatively and positive minds see things in a positive manner.

Please visit my website at www.labedzki-art.com. Other artists are welcome to join. Click on the "join for free" button at the very top for further instrctions.

kind regards,

annette

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The Color White- Its Symbolism and Meaning - by Annette Labedzki

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Whiteness can be a classic state of intellect or represent the snow on Kilimanjaro. White is used to give other colors different hues and shades. White is used to create space on the surface of an artwork. White is cleanliness, innocence and purity. White is a brilliant color that can cause headaches for some. Bright white light can be blinding. In western cultures white is for brides. White is associated with hospitals, doctors, nurses and dentists. Angels usually are portrayed in white. Certain words are used to represent white; such as pearl, snow, ghost white, paper, seashell, ivory, chalk and milk white. White picket fences surround a safe and happy home. White affects us mentally and physically. White helps to clear our mind. White encourages us to clear obstacles. White enables new beginnings. White is the color of mourning in China and Africa. A white flag is recognized around the world as a symbol of truce or surrender. The Japanese have six terms to define whiteness. White is the best selling color for the popular T-Shirt. White paint comes in more shades than any other color. The color of white coats was chosen by scientists to represent hope and expectations for healing. Some white clichés are: white lie, White Christmas, white sauce, white goods, and white flag. Leonardo Da Vinci said “The first of all single colors is white…we shall set down for the representative of light, without which no color can be seen; yellow for the earth; green for the water; blue for air, red for fire; and black for total darkness.” My favorite white of all is: white chocolate, white frosting, white cake, white jelly beans, white sugar, white taffy and white marshmallows.

My name is Annette Labedzki. I am a Canadian abstract painter. I have been
a full time artist for 25 years.
I have a web site in which I am able to invite other artists. The address is www.labedzki-art.com
 It's quite simple to join, click on "register", "login",  "create/order album"(this is where you give your album a title only,) then  "upload images", I usually only load two or three at a time .Once you've loaded you can go to home page click on "user gallery" and you'll see your images! Of course there are no fees and your image upload is unlimited! For art collectors this is a great place to buy original art for a great price.
Thank you so much and I really hope to see your work there
Regards,
Annette Labedzki

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Art and Its Difficulties-Is it True that Anyone can be an Artist - by Annette Labedzki

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Well, I’m just not so sure if anyone can be an artist. Just because you can draw or teach yourself to paint a small landscape doesn’t mean you’re an artist. I think there is so much more involved than most people know. Being an “artist” is such a loose term nowadays and anyone can use the term. I use this analogy: my husband studied sciences and then dentistry; it took him ten years to graduate. Now just because I can floss my teeth does not make me a dentist. This is my strong opinion about art. Creating a few drawings does not make a person an artist. That’s not to say that they couldn’t become an artist; if they studied their craft, improved their skills. This takes years and years on a path of self-discovery. I think of course that genetics plays a role in this as well. Being an artist means being unique, expressing yourself in a way that no one else ever has. This is extremely difficult. Discovering who you really are as an artist; and then to be able to express this in the medium that best describes you. Top that off by also being great at what you do. Now you have a recipe for a very assiduous and difficult task. How do you know whether it’s sculpture, painting, acting, writing or dancing, that you want to pursue? These are difficult and confusing questions you have to ask yourself. If I twirl around in the living room does that make me a dancer and if I sing in the shower does that make me a singer? I don’t think so! I think the difference is to call yourself or to tell other people that you are a doctor; you need a few degrees to prove it and a license to practice but to call yourself an artist or tell other people that you are an artist all you need is a pencil and one drawing.

Joseph Beuys was famous for saying “Jeder mensch ein Kuenstler”/”Everyone is an artist” however his remark is very misunderstood. He didn’t mean that literally everyone is an artist, nor did he mean that everyone has the ability to become an artist. He also didn’t mean that we can obtain this artistic creativity just by being a human being.

What he meant by “everyone is an artist” is that in societies many questions and problems arise and no matter if we are a politician, worker, child, or painter we always look for the best possible solution to any given situation. To look for the best possible solution is the most important question in art. This is then the common thread between  artists and anyone else; to find the best possible solution to any circumstance in art and in life.

 Please visit my website at www.labedzki-art.com.

Other artists are welcome to join

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Notes from an Artist-My Trip to Poland and the Breaking of Communism - by Annette Labedzki

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My husband and I decided to visit Poland back in 1993. Andrew was originally from Poland but I had never been there. Communism had just ended and the whole country was in a strange turmoil. I could sense it; the Polish people were in a hurry to westernize their country. There was a feeling of trauma and relief throughout the country. I witnessed scenes of beauty and scenes of horror. I will now share with you excerpts from “My Trip to Poland” journal.

June 23, 1993: We were stopped by the police again today, but Ella (this was a friend that we were driving with) told them that she was a doctor and this was an emergency! Ella was in a fact a doctor; a dermatologist. That’s the fourth time we’ve been stopped by the police since we arrived in Poland. Everybody seems paranoid! They stop you on the road for no reason, just to check you out.

Today on the train, Andrew slipped off to the washroom and I was sitting across from my father-in-law who had his eyes closed and was enjoying a short nap. As I stared out the window a scene flashed before my eyes, and it happened so fast that I couldn’t quite believe it. I saw a policeman standing on the side of the railroad tracks and he looked very grim, beside him was the body of man who was upside down, body twisted in a strange position and dried blood on the side of his mouth, stuck in some sort of electrical pole. I felt a little bit sick. When my husband came out of the washroom I told him what I had seen. His dad hadn’t seen it because he had been sleeping! My husband had a hard time believing my story.

June 25, 1993: I just found out from our friend Benedict Jozefko, who had read the newspaper that the man I had seen had indeed died from jumping off the train. He had come from the Ukraine looking for work to feed his four children. He didn’t have a train ticket so when the conductor came by to collect tickets the man had panicked and jumped to his death.

The Basilicas are absolutely beautiful here. I’m inspired to do a black and gold sculpture when we get back to B.C.

Right now we are on a train to Auschwitz.

June 26, 1993: It sure was creepy being in the concentration camp. Somehow I wanted to honor the people who had suffered such unspeakable horror and tragedy. I felt stronger emotions than I ever did in a church. Pictures of the victims were everywhere on the walls. I had only seen images of Auschwitz and the prisoners in the movies; let me tell you, no actor, no matter how talented, has been able to capture the sheer terror I saw in the eyes of those victims. We saw a short film which was in English. We walked through the camp; there were large rooms with huge piles consisting of thousands of shoes, other piles of hair brushes and toothbrushes, suitcases and eyeglasses. We walked through the gas chambers and the crematorium. It was a very frightening experience. I saw the so-called beds, made of wooden planks and a bit of straw.

I took one reed of grass and a white little flower from Auschwitz and taped it into my journal.

July 5, 1993: The scenes that I really love are the huge stork nests up in the telephone poles. It just looks amazing, the nests are at least 3 feet in diameter and they are everywhere. Sometimes the nests are made on top of old wooden buildings. While I am staring at the stork nests an old carriage with two big old horses and a mound of hay comes walking by .This looks like a scene from a Van Gogh painting.

July8, 1993: We are on a plane back home to Vancouver, B.C. We had a stop over in London. At the airport in the boarding room, Andrew went to the back to sneak a cigarette. While in dental school he started sneaking cigarettes because it just wasn’t “cool” to smoke and study medicine! So here he was in London, England sneaking cigarettes and I reminded him of where we were and that nobody would care if he smoked. All of a sudden a really loud voice yelled “Hey, Andrew,” “Hey, Andrew,” we couldn’t believe it, it was someone that Andrew had just graduated from dental school with. We are all on the same plane together going back to Canada.

I have a website where other artists are welcome to join for free at www.labedzki-art.com

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The Function and Significance of the Signature - by Annette Labedzki

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The signature is usually placed at the periphery of the picture as is customary; however in some instances the signature stands out, and becomes another element of the artwork. It becomes a label or a tag. Is the signature created with the same expressiveness as the artwork or does it become a plastic autonomy? Is there a huge ego popping out of the signature or a timid voice?

Sometimes one senses that the signature doesn’t really belong; it isn’t really a part of the initial composition of the artwork. It becomes and afterthought and perhaps should be on the back of the painting. Not signing the artwork is a strange sensation as well. The artwork becomes an orphan or an object floating in purgatory. No sense of ownership and no place of belonging. Could you imagine if all the great masterpieces hadn’t been signed and dated by the artist? Anarchy and mayhem would ensue within the art world.

The painting also must be signed in such a way that it doesn’t destroy the art. In other words it must be the correct size and in proportion to the initial composition.

In my case as I am drawing the lines, curves and scribbles my signature is a continuation of one line which may have started at the opposite corner of the artwork.

The signature and painting form a new combined relationship. The signature becomes a pattern by which our painting can be identified.

 Please visit my website at www.labedzki-art.com

Other artists may also join my site with unlimited image upload and no fees. just click on join for free button 

 

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The Beauty of the Bead - by Annette Labedzki

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I’ve always wondered why I love beads so much. I' m not from African descent, there is no history of beadwork In my family; so why do I have this fascination and obsession with beads? I have a large collection of beads, including vintage, wood, and glass, plastic and shell beads.

Well, the most obvious reason is that beads in themselves are a work of art. Each one has its own story to tell and its own beauty. Beads have the ability to transform a utilitarian object into a work of art. Therein lays my fascination and awe. I have a great passion for books. My collection of sketchbooks and hand made books consists of nearly 1800 in total. There is no better feeling than to create my own book with beautiful paper and fabrics and then embellish it with beads!

The Yoruba tribe is known for their art with beads. Beads represent symbols of status and hierarchy, protective charms and accessories and for rituals and seductions. Beads were also used for trading. They symbolize wealth, power and desire. Beads that were made from certain materials represented specific beliefs and status. Early on beads were made from bone, seeds, clay and shell. Later they consisted of glass, metal and ivory. Beads were used to decorate almost any object one could imagine from clothing and jewelry to furniture. The power of the little bead continues on in the 21^st century. Beads still represent wealth for example. Only the wealthy can afford a beaded gown worth 200 thousand dollars! Woman and men still adorn themselves with beaded jewelry to make them attractive. Nothing has changed over the centuries. The bead still has the ability and power to transform.

Please feel free to visit my website at www.labedzki-art.com

kind regards,

Annette

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