Our 2D National Saturday Club members recently took a deep-dive into the mesmerising world of Venetian paper marbling, guided by former Decorative Surfaces Fellow and MA Fine Art alumna Eloise Dethier Eaton, and MA Fine Art student Alice Farrell. The workshop was a vibrant, hands-on journey into a centuries-old craft that blends science, patience and creativity.
Under Eloise and Alice’s guidance, members explored the traditional techniques of marbling using carrageenan, a seaweed-based thickener that transforms ordinary water into a silky, paint-holding surface. Onto this, they floated acrylic paints, delicately dropping and combing colours to form swirling patterns. With their alum-coated paper ready to capture the designs, each dip became an exciting moment of surprise and no two results were the same.
From delicate swirls to bold, dramatic bursts of colour, the outcomes were incredible, along with witnessing the alchemy of watching the paint dance across the surface before being transferred to paper.
