Intro to Paper Marbling with Sarah Plummer

Marbled paper looks like it took a machine or a miracle. It takes a tray of thickened water, some floated color and a steady hand. On Sunday, October 11, printmaker Sarah Plummer teaches the whole process from scratch at 2115 Sunset Boulevard, the Heavy Manners Library space in Echo Park. If you're sorting through things to do in Los Angeles that leave you holding something you made, this one is worth a look.

What the workshop covers

This is an entry-level class, so you don't need any printing background. Plummer starts with tool-making. You'll build some of your own marbling tools instead of buying a kit, which means you can keep going at home afterward. From there she walks through the foundational recipes: how the size (the thickened bath) is mixed, how the colors get prepared so they float, and the techniques that pull those colors into combs, swirls and feathered patterns.

By the end of the afternoon each person walks out with several sheets of hand-marbled paper. The organizers say you're welcome to bring your own paper if you have a stock you want to try. That's a nice option if you bind books, make cards or want marbled endpapers for a specific project.

Who's teaching

Sarah Plummer is a collaborative printer, writer and maker who grew up in Australia and came to the US to pursue printmaking. Her print shop résumé is long. She's worked on fine-art prints at Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, Gemini G.E.L. and Problems Printing here in Los Angeles, Wingate Studio in New Hampshire and Flatbed Press in Austin, plus projects for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since 2022 she's run her own shop, Speck Editions, in LA. Lithography is her main love, and her own work deals with land, memory and material.

That background matters in a beginner class. Someone who has pulled editions for major artists tends to explain the why behind each step, not just the steps.

Practical info

• When: Sunday, October 11, 3 PM to 6 PM (three hours)
• Where: 2115 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026
• Price: $87.21 per ticket on Eventbrite
• Refunds: available up to 7 days before the class

The address sits on Sunset between Echo Park and Silver Lake. Street parking along that stretch is metered and tight on weekends, so give yourself a few extra minutes or take a rideshare. Several Metro bus lines run along Sunset Boulevard if you'd rather skip the car entirely. Spots in hands-on classes like this are limited by table space, so booking ahead is smart.

If your Sunday is still open and you want more upcoming events Los Angeles has on the calendar, browse the arts and culture listings or everything happening around Los Angeles. It's a good match for anyone who likes Things Happening In Los Angeles that end with a stack of paper drying on the table.