We welcome you to join us for a full afternoon of meditative immersion in the wild and ephemeral process of suminagashi marbling.

Combining two classes - Minimal and Color - into a single workshop, students will work both independently and alongside one another to create 10 -12 of their own unique marbled papers using only ink, paper and water.

Beautiful in its simplicity and directness, suminagashi, or “floating ink,” is greater than the sum of its parts. Originating in 12th century Japan, this ancient marbling technique harnesses the surface tension of water to produce original art papers in ink, born of the natural interplay between air and water. 

Due to the high levels of creative surrender involved, suminagashi is a remarkable way to unlock stuck creativity, promote mindfulness, and enter the coveted state of childlike play that Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, who coined the term FLOW, calls “the secret happiness.”It is a creative cross-pollination that will supercharge all your artistic endeavors, whatever they may be, but is particularly useful for anyone working in water-based media such as watercolor.

In this workshop, we will move through a progression of techniques, ultimately working toward a magical balance of skill and surrender. Beginning with minimal black and white prints, we will explore possibilities and hone skills that will serve us as we progress to more advanced techniques using colored inks, a variety of papers, and differently shaped vats.

All materials are included and all are welcome.

Beginners will be nurtured at their own pace.  Those with previous suminagashi experience will be met at their level and are welcome to bring their questions and any papers, brushes and/or other materials they’ve discovered for further guidance and exploration.

Come share in this wonderful community-building experience and be prepared to have your mind (and creative processes) blown.

Heather holds a BFA degree with a specialization in oil painting. Endlessly curious, she discovered the practice of suminagashi in 2023, and was instantly drawn to its simple elegance, its lessons, and its boundless potential to free her from her inner critic.

Sunday, October 12

12:30-4:30pm

Class limit: 8