Traditional Oriental Arts

of coloring paper on water with five hues. in the Ottoman-Turkish era, ebru appears in the battal (stone) form, namely without any manipulation. Interestingly, several variations developed in time, giving us types such as gelgit, tarakli, hatip, bülbül yuvasi, çiçekli (respectively come-and-go, combed, preacher, nightingale's nest, flowered, etc.) Ebru technique consists of sprinkling colours containing a few drops of ox-gall on to the surface of the bath sized with kitre (gum tragacanth) in a trough. By carefully laying the paper over the bath, the floating picture on top of it is readily transferred to the paper; thus, each ebru is a one of a kind print. To obtain beautiful ebru results, one needs to have a light hand, refined taste, and an open mind to the unexpected patterns forming on the water. Patience and a good knowledge of traditional culture are characteristic of ebru masters. After the 1550's, booklovers in Europe prized ebru, which came to be known as ‘Turkish papers’. Many specimens in their collections and in the several album amicorum books are visible today in various museums. Also, early texts dealing with ebru, such as “Discourse on decorating paper in the Turkish manner”, published in 1664 by Athanasius Kircher in Rome, helped to disseminate the knowledge of this kind of marbling art. There is agreement amongst scholars that the so-called Turkish Papers played a colourful influence on the book arts in Europe.
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EBRU ART THERAPY:

The art of Ebru is meditation, creativity and beauty. Patterns on water affected by simple gestures and movement combine with the stillness of the quiet to relieve stress and open connections with your thoughts and feelings. The art of Ebru is a patient path, connecting the practitioner to the materials and the process in an organic way that is natural, while at the same time filled with unexpected revelations and turns. All the materials used in the process are natural and organic: water, paints, branches of rose, thickener, ox gall, horsehair. Thanks to the close connection with nature, Ebru art connects with the user in a pure and unfiltered manner. Painting on water will deliver you from the normalcy of everyday life. You become fully immersed in the process, the color, the movement and the moment. Some describe working in Ebru as a kind of artistic yoga, others consider it a meditative process where the artist leads the process as much as the process leads the artist. All would agree that the process and the results are truly unique and intensely gratifying. The art of Ebru can be found in the consistent and methodical motion, which contributes to the continuous changes in the intricate colors, shades and patterns. Observing and practicing Ebru soothes the mind and soul in a manner similar to the sound of a waterfall, or rain on a windowsill. The art of Ebru is simple, but while easy to learn, can take a lifetime to master. The challenges are never ending and the answers can come from unexpected inspiration. The beauty is as much in the process as in the results. In Ebru, each painting is as unique as a fingerprint.
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" There is always a movement on the surface of the ebru water, colours and patterns are constantly changing on the water, in this process the person's mind, feelings & body come together. Ebru is a wonderful unrepeatable world which is made by floating colours on the surface of the water, none of them look alike. People see that they cannot control the size (ebru water) & shape of the drops & where they're going to fall. People also see that, the whole control is not in the hands of the person who makes ebru. Ebru art makes a person see that there is a greater power at
work than the person’s willpower who is making the ebru art "