I have been working on a series on paper combining Suminagashi marbling and collage. Suminagashi is a Japanese marbling technique using special pigment inks. These inks are gently tapped on the surface of water in a tray with fine brushes. The movement of the water and my intervention moves the inks around creating swirls and ripples. The inks are intense but they appear pale and indistinct floating on the water. The magic occurs when the paper is laid on the water and lifted off. The marbled pattern appears!

I’ve often said I love the unpredictability of printmaking. Suminagashi marbling takes unpredictability to a whole new level.

The collage elements are applied to the dried marbled paper. Like all of my collages there is a combination of my recycled prints and found paper. The colors, shapes and design of the collage work in tandem with the marbling.

To give you an idea of the process from start to finish here is what the marbled paper looks like.

Suminagashi Suite 2 marbled paper

Little by little, collage elements are applied.

Suminagashi Suite 2 in progress

The finished piece!

Suminagashi Suite 2, marbled paper with collage 22×30″ 2017-18

Here is another sequence.

Suminagashi Suite 4 marbled paper

Suminagashi Suite 4 in progress

Suminagashi Suite 4, marbled paper with collage 22×30″ 2017-18

Here are several other finished collages.

Suminagashi Suite 3, marbled paper with collage 22×30″ 2017-18

Suminagashi Suite 5, marbled paper with collage 30×22″ 2017-18

Suminagashi Suite 7, marbled paper with collage 30×22″ 2017-18

To be continued!