Marble Painting

Its a small marble painting that i have done, i saw this frame at a marble painting exhibition instantly fell in love, have been looking for the frame and finally was able to get at a frame shop in Thipasandra,
Its simple, draw a design on marble tile, the gold leaf is pasted on it with and adhesive, these designs are further embellished with pure gold leaf and enamel colors and stones. Once dried do varnish.

Marble painting is a traditional art of India.

It is done on a the smooth surface of a thin, light-weight tile of marble for better finishing. Pure gold leaves add richness to the art. Embossing (relief work) is done on the places where the gold leaves have to be pasted.

How to do:

First, choose a design to use – this can be any design, such as a musical instrument, a bird, or anything you like. Then draw a sketch on the marble tile. Then, wherever gold work is required, relief work is done at a very thin and intricate level. Leave it to dry completely, and then paste on the golden leaves on the relief work. While pasting the leaves, take care not to have the glue coming over them or they might lose their glow and lustre.

Once the golden leaves are pasted, the remaining parts are colored. The color of the natural stone makes the main object stand out, so the background is not colored. This is allowed to dry, and then intricate designs are drawn on the gold relief work. You can use beads of different colors and shapes to glue on to the gold relief work, to add to the grandness of the painting.

Marble painting artwork is usually framed with glass, and put up as a series on walls. These are also ideal for gifting on special occasions.

(Image courtesy: handicraftstore.in)