Many of my paintings begin on paper that I've previously marbled (using acrylic paints dropped into a tray of water thickened with carrageenan). Using a stylus, I comb the paint in the tray to create a distinct pattern that I then transfer onto the watercolor paper. The marbled pattern in this paper looked so much like cloth, I knew it would serve as the perfect pattern for women's skirts and scarves. The colors made me think of woven/printed African fabrics, so I sketched three women in a village on market day (each laden with baskets) and transferred that drawing onto the marbled paper. Composition is important in every painting I do, so I aimed to overlap the three figures, with the larger figure in front. I wanted the women to look similar (same scarves and skirts) but also slightly different, so I varied the color and style of their blouses to achieve this goal. I hope the result is a playful, joyful celebration of women as they go about their day together shopping for food at the market.