By: Nadia de kock

Larissa Don is a pattern designer & water artist, working for SA Marbling – Shimmer Designs specializing in The Arts of Marbling and Suminagashi.

The SA Marbling Company – Alchemy Arts page on Facebook which started in 2004, has 2091 likes as well as a website dedicated to explaining the art of marbling and various other
methods.

Don has also worked with, Japanese handmade washi paper, origami papers and Peace cranes. This is a transfer of pattern technique. Don has been doing art her whole life and
started specializing in Marbling in 2004.

“When you find your passion that is when you find your purpose. When I found Marbling, it was like coming home.  I see myself as a New Generation modern marbling artist. I work
from my home studio which is always a buzz with project,” said Don.

Don said that she was attracted to art because it is aesthetically very satisfying to her, she enjoys the process of creating something from nothing.

“Art is an international language that strikes a positive response from all cultures,” said Don.

Don said that the most challenging aspect of art is to get people to understand the Alchemy of Water Arts, which is unheard of in South Africa, and to have her work acknowledged and
respected within the National and International Art Community.

Her work has been exhibited locally at the Hilton Art Festival and Internationally as far as Madrid and Portugal along with 31 other Specialist Book and Paper Artists from East and
West.

The fact that she is the only Production marbler in South Africa and has gained international recognition from her masters makes her proud in her line of work.

Due to the fact that she is self-taught, she has developed her own style of Afro Retro, similar to a local SA design called Shweshw. She has been invited & sponsored to go to Istanbul

Turkey, the home of marbling, to take her study further at the 2016 World Gathering of Marblers.

Don is also very proud of the collaboration with ceramist Trayci Tompkins in 2014 when they produced a collectable range of usable ceramics with marbled patterns. The range
consisted of 7000 pieces which was sold as far as Australia.

“I will continue to take marbling to the people of South Africa and have been asked to organize and host a World gathering of Marblers here in SA,” said Don.

For more information on marbling and SA Marbling Company – Alchemy Arts go to http://marbling.weebly.com/