Paper marbling: arts and crafts style.

Byline: Jessica T. Mitchell
When the opportunity to preview the video, Crafting an American Style: The East, was presented to our art education class, we were all eager to learn about the art style and to contemplate how we could develop meaningful lessons around it. This article summarizes the steps we took to create the lessons and outlines the steps for one of the production activities.

The Video

Crafting an American Style: The East is a one-hour video that investigates the history of the American Arts and Crafts Movement throughout the twentieth century. Because most students in our class had a limited understanding of this art movement, using this video as a resource helped us to gain a better understanding about the rich traditions of Arts and Crafts.

The Lessons

To begin, our class determined what pertinent information middle school or high school students needed to know in order to understand the Arts and Crafts Movement. We decided that students needed to:

* Know relevant vocabulary (including what arts and crafts means);

* Understand when and where the movement occurred in relation to other events in history;

* Learn about artists and art objects from the movement; and

* Demonstrate knowledge of one or more products from the Arts and Crafts Movement.

The first activity we developed was a handout for students to use while watching the video. This handout encourages careful viewing and is later used for class discussion. A second activity requires collaborative groups to compare and contrast Arts and Crafts objects with mass-produced objects. A timeline of objects from the movement and from world events requires students to research on their own. Five production activities and a reflection completed the lessons. One of the production activities is paper marbling.

Personal Experience

After viewing Crafting an American Style: The East, I was inspired to learn paper marbling techniques. Middle school and high school artists no doubt will be similarly inspired, whether by the paper marbling artist, the ceramics artist, weavers, or basket-makers. Incorporating this video into our lessons brought a depth and dimension to our understanding that is reflected in our lessons. Incorporating the video to teach secondary students will bring similar understanding.

Materials

* commercially prepared marbling
powder (available in
most art supply catalogs)

* quart or gallon containers
with lids

* large, flat plastic tub

* strips of newspaper

* acrylic paint mixed with
water to the consistency of
milk

* paint applicators such as
paintbrushes or squeeze
bottles

* tools such as combs, plastic
forks, or kitchen utensils

* sponge

* heavy paper

THE PAPER MARBLING PROCESS

1. Prepare the marbling compound
according to instructions
and allow to sit in airtight
containers overnight.

2. Pour about two inches of the
mixture into the plastic tub.

3. Use newspaper strips to clean
any debris or bubbles from the
surface of the mixture.

4. Use paint applicators to drop
or splatter paint onto the surface
of the mixture. Use a small
amount of paint and a gentle
touch to apply the paint to
the surface. The idea is for the
paint to float on the surface.

5. Use tools to swirl through the
paint to create a design.

6. Gently place a piece of paper
on the surface of the mixture.

7. Pat the paper to ensure bubbles
have escaped.

8. Carefully lift the paper from
the mixture.

9. Lay flat to dry.

10. Once again use newspaper
strips to clean the surface of
the mixture.

11. The marbling mixture may
be used again and again
if the paint is effectively
removed from the surface
after each design is
complete.

12. After the marbled paper
has dried, use the sheets to
create covers or pages for
handmade books. Marbled
papers also make one-of
a-kind stationery for
special occasions.

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students create artworks that use organizational principles and functions to solve specific visual arts problems.

WEB SITE

www.craftinganamericanstyle.cam

Jessica Mitchell is a senior art education student at Northern Arizona University. She is completing her student teaching assignment in London, England.