Our second-to-the-last day of the Prone to Wander retreat was spent at “home”.  Instead of taking the bus to an experience, the experience came to us.  Maria Giannini, a paper maker and bookbinder from Florence, came to teach a paper marbling and bookbinding workshop.  The interesting coincidence of Maria and me both teaching workshops at this retreat was that we had met six years earlier when I popped into her family’s pen-and-paper shop.  Their shop was just a short walk from our hotel in Florence, and I was enticed to go inside by the beautiful papers in their window display.  I discovered they carried a treasure trove of new-stock vintage and antique art and writing supplies, so I bought a bunch while I chatted with Maria’s uncle, Guido.  I had met a kindred spirit who loved and appreciated old things, from a different country, language, and generation, and Marian helped to facilitate that through translation.  (You can read all about that experience HERE.)

So, when Carolyn said someone named Maria from Florence would be teaching a paper marbling workshop, I guessed it was the same Maria I met a few years prior.  And, it was!  Now, we were teaching tag-team workshops.  I taught about keeping a travel journal (you can read about that HERE) using the inserts we would later cover with custom papers and assemble with Maria.

Maria was as delightful as I remembered.  She set up her paper marbling equipment in the farm’s greenhouse, which was a little snug, but a perfect spot for the paint splattering about to ensue.  There was a stack of papers, several pots of paint, a large tray filled with liquid, large combs for creating patterns, and a drying rack.

Maria first gave a demonstration, explaining how to select colors to achieve certain looks, how to flick the paint into the tray of liquid, and how to create intricate designs by swirling the paint or dragging combs through the puddles.

Then, one by one, Maria guided us through the process.  We would make all of the decisions to create our own unique papers.

It was beneficial to watch other people make decisions to see how it turned out and listen to Maria’s instructions to further understand the process.

I thought I would be a natural with paint flicking, given my comfort with handling a brush, but Maria playfully rolled her eyes and corrected my technique.  “Artists are always holding the brush wrong when making marbled paper.”  Despite my inept beginning, I made a paper I liked.  I splattered a light blue and dark blue, alternating between the two, and opted not to comb or swirl the paint.

It took a few hours for everyone to make their papers, so we took a break for lunch to allow the paint to dry and to eat some lunch.  The meals we had at the farm were so delicious.  With the exception of the closing banquet, all meals were served family-style.  They were simple dishes made with fresh, local ingredients.

Here is my paper…  The off-white is the paper’s natural color, and in hindsight, I wish I had let more of it show.  We were able to select portions of our paper to use for the front and back covers of the book, though, so I used sections that had a bit more white peeking through.

Maria gave us templates to trace and cut out the paper covers for our books…

I wish I had taken more pictures of this process, but we were busy!  There was a lot of gluing, pressing, and direction-following, so we didn’t put something on backwards or upside down.  Marian was also fastidious about reminding us to work on a clean piece of scrap paper so we don’t inadvertently mess up our books with a rogue spot of glue.  With our covers glued, we were able to select leather spines and ties for our books.  I picked a cognac color, which is what I envisioned working best with my blue and white paper.

Once everything was glued and assembled, Maria pressed each book with her family’s antique book press.  Of course, I was most covetous of such a fine antique!

We let our books dry overnight in our workshop space, stacked under some books or anything we could find to add some weight.

Here are all of the books together.  It was so fun to see the wide range of colors, combinations, patterns, designs, and styles our small group created.

We each received a cotton bag to protect our journals on their trip home.

Here is how my book turned out…

And it is filled with color swatches, sketches, pressed herbs and leaves, and paintings from the workshop I taught, along with some I added later.

It was an enriching experience in so many ways… to learn, to make, and to enjoy the community of others within a foreign country and culture.  It is one of the most precious souvenirs I brought back from the trip.  We had just one more day of the Prone to Wander retreat before we went our separate ways.

If you missed my previous posts about my time in Italy, you can find them below…

Best view in Siena

Walking Through Siena, Italy

Shopping at the Siena Market

Plein Air Painting in Italy & Podere Tour

Dinner in a Castle | Tuscany Creative Retreat

Travel Journal Workshop

Arezzo Antique Market