The Art of the Flow: Marlo Marrero’s Journey into Water Marbling

How a Co-Founder's Obsession with Water Marbling is Bringing a New Level of Craft to Creative Jam Art Co.

They say some art forms choose you. For me, that art form was water marbling. When we first started dreaming up the concepts for Creative Jam Art Co., marbling was at the top of my personal list. There is an absolute "wow" factor to the process—watching paint dance on water and then seeing it permanently captured on fabric, paper, and even skin. But as many entrepreneurs know, passion doesn't always equal an easy setup. After hitting several "decisive roadblocks," we had to put marbling on the back burner to focus on our paint splatter room, parties, and paint pouring experiences. But I wasn’t giving up.

Water Marbling at a festival in Bristol, CT

Brenda at a festival in Bristol, CT.

Brenda helping a child making a water marbled paper.

A close up photograph of a child prepping the solution with paint.

A close up of someone prepping the solution for their paper.

A close up photograph of a design drawn in the paint on the surface of the marbling solution

Multiple examples of water marbled papers.

Amy popping bubbles on the surface of the solution.

Irmie looking at her water marbled paper.

Brenda prepping the solution at a festival in Bristol, CT.

A friend drawing in the paint on the water marbling solution.

Chasing the Masters

I spent months trying to track down the right teachers. I repeatedly missed the sign-up windows for the only experts in the Northeast. Finally, thanks to a grant from the Main Street Community Foundation, I had the resources to make it happen. I was honored to be one of two inaugural awardees!

I called Chena River Marblers and practically begged: "I have the funding, and I cannot miss your workshop!" In search of my soul-feeding grind, my journey took me to the home art studio of Regina and Dan St. John in Amherst, MA, for a 3-day paper marbling intensive. It was soul-feeding for sure. I created 35 unique mono prints, but more importantly, I finally understood the "why" behind the pain points we had struggled with at our own studio.

Marlo in front of a fresh marbled paper at Chena River Marblers art studio.

Close up of over marbled Party paper.

Marlo pulling her marbled paper from the marbling tray

Regina St. John dropping paint onto the surface of the marbling solution.

Regina St. John showing another student how to move the rake.

Group photograph of Regina St. John and her students at Chena River Marblers in Amherst Mass.

Marlo showing off her recently water marbled paper.

In October, I took it a step further: a 5.5-day fabric marbling intensive held at Sanborn Mills Farm in New Hampshire. This workshop was also led by Dan and Regina St. John, both in their early 80s. Why is it important to mention this? We labored for hours and days, and in this respect, age was just a number. However, these two folks are a dynamic duo!

Regina and Dan St. John of Chena River Marblers at Sanborn Mills Farm in New Hampshire.

Standing for 5.5 days straight gave me ankle splints, not just shin splints. I never wanted to stop at the end of the day; I marbled over 60 times that week. The atmosphere in the studio was invigorating yet heavy with the weight of tradition. With students coming from as far as Japan, there was a shared understanding that we were witnessing the end of an era. As Dan and Regina prepare for a well-earned chapter away from the classroom (catch them while you can!), the importance of preserving their unmatched commitment to the craft weighed on all of us. We weren't just students; we were temporary stewards of their lifetime of knowledge. I feel so fortunate for the experience, their lessons, and inspiration.

The Beauty of the Process (and the Prep)

People often see the finished scarf, but they don't see the hours of:

• Buying, washing, and soaking fabric in alum.

• The endless ironing (and then ironing again).

• Managing a tank twice the size of the one used for paper.

• The high-stakes over-marbling process—prepping the fabric with alum again and hoping the second layer of art enhances the first.

  
  

Every variable matters. Everything that could go wrong did, and everything that could go right did. It was a masterclass in troubleshooting.

Marlo and a classmate getting ready to place a silk piece of fabric onto a design that Marlo made.

Marlo standing near her first pieces that she has completed.

A photograph of Marlo's silhouette at Sanborn Mills Farm in New Hampshire.

Sanborn Mills Farm

Marlo having fun in the studio at Sanborn Mills Farm

A close up of one of Marlo's finished silk scarves, that has been over marbled.

See the Results: "Dual Momentum" Exhibition

The last few months have been a whirlwind of cutting, prepping, and creating new works from these marbled materials. I am thrilled to invite you to see the results in a new exhibition alongside Nigel Wynter:

• Exhibition: Dual Momentum

• Marlo Marrero and Nigel Wynter

• Dates: Jan 29th – Feb 26th

• Reception: Thursday, Feb 5th, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

• Location: Barnes-Franklin Gallery CT State Community College Tunxis 271 Scott Swamp Rd, Farmington, CT 06032

  
  

Both Nigel and I are proud recipients of the Louise Lauretano DeMars Love of Art Fund at the Main Street Community Foundation. It would mean the world to see our community there.

Bringing the Magic of Water Marbling to Creative Jam

A perfect solution: smaller ceramics that require no prepping and receive the paint perfectly during the water marbling process. A new offering at Creative Jam Art Co.

This journey wasn't just for my own growth; it was for our studio. I’ve figured out how to offer water marbling at Creative Jam Art Co. in a way that allows us to share the love of the craft at our art studio without the overwhelming prep work.

I’m starting my own journey with my own professional tray soon, and one day, we hope to offer full fabric water marbling workshops to our customers. Stay tuned!

PS. Would you sign up to make a scarf or even two? Let us know in the comments.