Write a poem about one or more of the themes the ancient Persians used. You may need to look back over the learning object and watch the video on Persepolis to remind yourself of the Persian themes. In your poem, explore the use of adverbs and adjectives to make your words come alive. Try to paint a “word picture.” Write several poems in different styles if you like.
Next, copy one of your poems onto a piece of parchment paper and decorate the borders with colored pencils. You will now make a beautiful paper frame for the poem.
Using the instructions given below, marble several pieces of paper. Keep a piece large enough to either cut out as a frame for your poem (or two pieces which can be pieced together), or to paste your poem onto, leaving a border. (You may make as many more as you want for other uses. They make lovely gifts, and you can marble envelopes along with sheets of writing paper, to make sets of stationery.)
Paste your poem onto one of your beautifully marbled pieces of paper, leaving a 1 to 3 inch border of marbling to form a frame. If your poem is too big for the marbled paper, you can cut strips of marbled paper and piece them together in a frame around the poem. You can then paste the whole thing onto a thin piece of cardboard such as a file folder or colored piece of poster board, to make it more sturdy. If you want to preserve it for a long time, put the poem, with its marbled frame, behind glass or into a wooden frame to keep it safe. (If you have written several poems, you might want to consider making a booklet instead.) Take pictures to send to your teacher.
Marbling
To marble paper, you will need the following supplies:
- Drawing paper
- A dishpan (that you don’t need for dishes again)
- Oil-base paints (the tubes of oil paint in art stores work well)
- Paint thinner
- Sticks for stirring
- Jars in which to mix colors
- Newspapers on which to let the marbled paper dry
The secret of “marbling” is that oil and water do not mix, so when you put oil-base paint in water, the paint floats on top, creating swirling patterns that then transfer onto anything which is dipped into the water. To begin, half fill the dishpan with cold water. Next, squeeze one of the oil-base paints into a jar, add a small amount of paint thinner and stir until the mixture is like cream. Pour a few drops of this mixture into the water. It should float to the top and spread out. If it doesn’t do this, you should add more paint thinner to the mixture. Swirl the paint around with a stick. Then, gently lay a sheet of paper onto the surface of the water. Try to avoid letting any air bubbles form underneath the paper. Lift the paper up by the corners and lay it on the newspaper to dry.
Once you have experimented with the process, vary the amount of thinner and try different combinations of colors. You can create many different kinds of colors and patterns with just a few basic colors.
Extra Credit
Draw a design onto a vase, coaster, piece of wood, tin can, or cigar box lid. You could also buy a large plain colored tile at a building supply store, and do your work on that. Glue tiny stones, beads, tiles, shells, glass or other materials onto your design to make a beautiful mosaic. You can also embed your mosaic pieces in plaster or caulking for a more authentic look. Send a picture of your mosaic to your teacher.
