Stefanie Suk – Looking Outwards – 06

Natalie Stopka is an artist who focuses on the creative process from the materials and forces of the natural world. One of the art techniques she likes to use in her work is marbling, which is a method of creating “random” pattern designs using color and water. This method is the result of floating color onto the surface of the water, then transferring the pattern to an absorbent surface, like paper or fabric. Marbling is a perfect definition of randomness because the artist never has full control over the design. Although the artist may be able to create designs using a sharp utensil to form patterns on the color, every single drop of color the artist puts on the water spreads differently throughout the surface. The direction, size, and color changes every time the color is dropped onto the surface of the water, and I think this marbling method effectively uses randomness to create unique patterns. Natalie Stopka’s marbling artwork shows a perfect example of the use of random movements from the natural force of color.