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This article highlights the best of several Chinatowns around the world. I've selected Chinatown, London because it's likely to be the most familiar to elementary aged students. Were I to teach using this international example in an actual classroom, I'd point out that the need for a cultural phenomenon and a sense of community found in Chinatown was so great that its necessity is recognized all over the world.

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8 CHINATOWNS YOU MUST VISIT

Chinatowns are spectacular and unique cities within cities. They are vibrant, colorful, and adventurous. Here you will find lots of street vendors selling beautiful items and a wide range of delectable food options. Visitors will be spoiled for choice upon visiting. Beautiful fish markets, unusual produce, exotic restaurants and several specialty shops all make a visit to Chinatown a memorable one.

Listed below are the 8 best Chinatowns you must visit and why you must visit them.

San Francisco's oldest restaurant

San Francisco Chinatown
San Francisco is home to the oldest Chinatown in the world dating back to 1848. It is also considered the most visited attraction in San Francisco and home to the largest Chinese community outside of Asia. Take a stroll along haunted streets and alleyways and experience the historical significance of one of the most popular Chinese quarters in the world. The Grant Avenue where you will find plenty of shops and restaurants is a place not to miss out on visiting.

New York City Chinatown
Wandering among the ever-bustling markets of Chinatown in New York City is an experience to remember. Featuring several holes in the wall restaurant, tenement building, and a unique ethnic community, most signs here are in Chinese. On the north of Chinatown in New York is a magnificent view of the Empire State Building.

Tong Dynasty Architecture, Chinatown Vegas

Las Vegas is home to one of the most vibrant Chinatowns in the USA. Located a few miles from the Strip, Las Vegas Chinatown features an array of shops and restaurants. Las Vegas Chinatown is incomparable with regard to history to districts such as San Francisco and New York but offers a vibrant atmosphere with by far the best culinary scene of any Chinatown, anywhere. The main street, Spring Mountain Road runs east to west and stretches over 3 miles and features over 140 restaurants, 5 large Asian supermarkets, and numerous boutique shops. The must visit places are the Chinatown Plaza, a shopping plaza featuring Tong Dynasty architecture, the strip malls at Valley View Blvd, Decatur and Jones Blvd, all intersecting with Spring Mountain Rd.
Chinatown Vegas Restaurant Guide
square blocks. One of its most appealing spots is the Four Rivers restaurant renowned for its crystal wontons. Asides restaurants, Boston Chinatown
Located in the city center is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States. On the entrances is a beautiful gate of massive sized imperial stone lions. Here you will see an eclectic mix of unique shops selling great produce, local restaurants serving delectable food and new luxury apartment buildings
Philadelphia Chinatown
Built by Chinese artisans, Philadelphia Chinatown is one of the smallest in the world stretching about six Chinatown also stands out for its Asian grocery stores, unique shops, and porcelain. Philadelphia's
Vancouver Chinatown
Dating back to the early 20th century, Vancouver's Chinatown is home to some of the finest Chinese restaurants serving varieties of Chinese food outside of Hong Kong. About half of the Chinese population in Vancouver are living in Richmond, otherwise, know as "modern-day Chinatown". One of the most unique features of Vancouver's Chinatown is a shrine dedicated to Jimi Hendrix.
Los Angeles Chinatown

Despite the fact that over half of the Chinese population live in the city's suburb, a visit to Los Angeles Chinatown is a must. Easily accessible from all corners of the city and featuring a gorgeous red gate at its entrance, Chinatown is a place to find lots of vendors selling cheap clothing, souvenirs, and delectable cuisine. Some of the places to enjoy yummy delicacies include Phoenix Bakery, Ocean Seafood, and Yang Chow.

London's Chinatown is one of the largest in Europe with a rich history dating back to the 18th century. Located in the city center, Chinatown receives several thousands of visitors annually for its Chinese restaurants, supermarkets, tea-houses and traditional Chinese doctors.

Its major annual festival, the Lunar New Year, draws about 300,000 people from across the world. One of the most popular spots in London Chinatown is the Jazz Club, which had once played host to world-renowned personalities including Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald.

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8 CHINATOWNS YOU MUST VISIT - Chinatown Report

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8 CHINATOWNS YOU MUST VISIT Chinatowns are spectacular and unique cities within cities. They are vibrant, colorful, and adventurous. Here you will find lots of street vendors selling beautiful items and a wide range of delectable food options. Visitors will be spoiled for choice upon visiting.

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This current event is about Catalonia trying to become an independent from Spain. Spain does not want this separation because Catalonia is considered one of Spain's wealthiest and most productive regions
This current event relates to the Betsy Ross House lesson and the American Flag because if Catalonia does separate they would be creating their own nation with rules, symbols, and a flag. This new development would be similar to when United States became their own nation.

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Catalonia's independence movement is back in the headlines after Spain's Supreme Court jailed nine separatist leaders, prompting days of protests.

The crisis first flared in October 2017, when a banned independence referendum was met with a heavy police crackdown.

Madrid imposed direct rule on the region shortly after.

It is the country's biggest political crisis since democracy was restored in 1975, after the death of military dictator General Francisco Franco.

What's the context?

Catalonia is one of Spain's wealthiest and most productive regions and has a distinct history dating back almost 1,000 years.

Before the Spanish Civil War it enjoyed broad autonomy but that was suppressed under Gen Franco.

When Franco died, the region was granted autonomy again under the 1978 constitution and prospered as part of the new, democratic Spain.

A 2006 statute granted even greater powers, boosting Catalonia's financial clout and describing it as a "nation", but Spain's Constitutional Court reversed much of this in 2010.

The 2008 financial crash and Spanish public spending cuts fuelled local resentment and separatism.

There is a widespread feeling that the central government takes much more in taxes than it gives back.

But the complexity of budget transfers makes it hard to judge exactly how much more Catalans contribute than they get back from investment in services, such as schools and hospitals.

How did we get here?

Following a symbolic referendum in November 2014, outlawed by Spain, separatists won the 2015 regional election.

Catalonia's pro-independence leaders then went ahead with a full referendum on 1 October 2017, which was also declared illegal by Spain's constitutional court.

Organisers said 90% of voters backed a split. But turnout was only 43% amid a boycott by unionists.

In a febrile atmosphere the separatist majority in the Catalan parliament declared independence on 27 October.

Using the Article 155 emergency powers, Madrid dissolved parliament, sacked its leaders and called a snap election for 21 December.

Separatists won a slim majority. The following May, Catalonia's parliament swore in Quim Torra as their new president, after Madrid blocked several other candidates. Mr Torra vowed to continue fighting for independence.

The sight of Spanish national police beating voters, and politicians being jailed, revived disturbing memories, for some, of the Franco dictatorship.

Carles Puigdemont - then Catalan president - fled abroad with several other leaders. Many who remained were arrested and charged with treason.

Spain's Supreme Court finally sentenced nine of the arrested Catalan leaders in October, sparking the latest unrest.

Former vice president Oriol Junqueras was handed a 13-year prison sentence for sedition and misuse of public funds. The other eight receive sentences of between 12 and 9 years.

Demonstrators took to the streets in fury and have repeatedly clashed with police in some of the worst street violence to hit Spain in decades.

If the separatists do ever manage to split away, it would be hard for Catalonia to win recognition internationally.

New states mostly emerge from situations where ethnic groups have been victims of genocide or other major human rights abuses.

Kosovo was a huge humanitarian crisis for Europe - even so, many countries refuse to recognise it as independent.

Catalonia has its own language and distinctive traditions, and a population nearly as big as Switzerland's (7.5 million). It is one of Spain's wealthiest regions, making up 16% of the national population and accounting for almost 19% of Spanish GDP.

It's also a vital part of the Spanish state, locked in since the 15th Century.

Barcelona has become one of the EU's best-loved city-break destinations, famed for its 1992 Summer Olympics, trade fairs, football and tourism.

Generations of people from poorer parts of Spain have moved there for work, forming strong family bonds with regions such as Andalusia.

During this crisis, the Catalan economy has suffered. Thousands of businesses, including major banks and energy firms, have moved their headquarters out of the region.

The EU has treated the crisis as an internal matter for Spain, deaf to the separatists' pleas for support.

However, there have been warnings that the issue is damaging Spain's democratic credentials.

In 2017 the Economist Intelligence Unit, which compiles an influential annual democracy ranking, said Spain risked being downgraded from a "full democracy" to a "flawed" one over its handling of the situation.

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Catalonia's bid for independence from Spain explained

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The drive by separatists to break away and the efforts by Madrid to stop them.

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A french inventor, Franky Zapata, successfully crossed the English Channel on a hoverboard that he made. (2019) He had a failed attempt in 2016. This connects to the Benjamin Franklin lesson because it shows that there are inventors who have an impact in other countries as well as in America!

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After a failed attempt at the end of July, French inventor Franky Zapata successfully crossed the English Channel early this morning on his Flyboard Air, a jet-powered hoverboard.

Zapata departed from Sangatte, France and arrived in Dover, England 22 minutes later, reaching speeds of up to 106 miles per hour during the 22-mile trip. "We made a machine three years ago," he said after landing, "and now, we've crossed the Channel, it's crazy."

The Guardian reports that the trip wasn't a continuous one: because he only carried a 10-minute supply of fuel on his back, he had to make a pit stop at the halfway mark to refuel.

This was Zapata's second attempt to cross the Channel: his first attempt at the end of July ended in failure when he fell into the water while trying to land on the refueling platform. He and his team chalked up the crash to the size of the waves during the landing attempt, forcing him to miss the edge of the platform by centimeters. After the crash, he said that they would make the attempt once again, this time using a slightly different route and a larger refueling platform.

Zapata invented the Flyboard in 2011, a device that uses a water jet to propel the rider through the air behind a boat. He later invented the Flyboard Air, a board powered by four turbo jet engines that allows a rider to fly through the air untethered, using a computer to keep it stabilized. In 2016, Zapata set a world record for the farthest hoverboard flight after he flew the Flyboard Air along the south coast of France for 2,252 meters (About 1.4 miles).

The inventor made headlines in the middle of July when he appeared over crowds during France's Bastille Day celebrations carrying a gun, a demonstration of some of the uses that the device could have. There has been some interest from the defense industry in the vehicle: defense contractor Implant Sciences had planned to acquire Zapata's company, Zapata Industries ( although that deal later fell through) and France's defense and procurement agency granted Zapata a €1.3m grant in 2018 to help with the development of the vehicle.

Zapata isn't the only person working on this sort of jet-powered personal transportation: English inventor Richard Browning developed a jet suit that allows the wearer to fly with six turbo-engines strapped to their arms, something he's demonstrated to with everyone from the British Royal Marines, to Adam Savage.

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French inventor successfully crosses the English Channel on a hoverboard

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After a failed attempt at the end of July, French inventor Franky Zapata successfully crossed the English Channel early this morning on his Flyboard Air, a jet-powered hoverboard. Zapata departed from Sangatte, France and arrived in Dover, England 22 minutes later, reaching speeds of up to 106 miles per hour during the 22-mile trip.

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This article is about the United Kingdom exiting from European Union. By leaving the EU, the UK can now sign and implement their own trade agreements with countries around the world.

Brexit relates to the Liberty Bell, because the UK is getting freedom, which the Liberty Bell is symbolic for. The Liberty Bell was used to summon the people of Philadelphia to hear announcements, one being the Declaration of Independence, which gave the USA freedom.

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After months of negotiations, the UK and European Union finally agreed a deal that will define their future relationship, which comes into effect at 23.00GMT on 31 December.

It has. The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016 and officially left the trading bloc - its nearest and biggest trading partner - on 31 January 2020.

However, both sides agreed to keep many things the same until 31 December 2020, to allow enough time to agree to the terms of a new trade deal.

It was a complex, sometimes bitter negotiation, but they finally agreed a deal on 24 December.

The deal contains new rules for how the UK and EU will live, work and trade together.

While the UK was in the EU, companies could buy and sell goods across EU borders without paying taxes and there were no limits on the amount of things which could be traded.

Under the terms of the deal, that won't change on 1 January, but to be sure that neither side has an unfair advantage, both sides had to agree to some shared rules and standards on workers' rights, as well as many social and environmental regulations. You can read more detail on other aspects of the deal, including more on travel, fishing, and financial services, here.

Freedom to work and live between the UK and the EU also comes to an end, and in 2021, UK nationals will need a visa if they want to stay in the EU more than 90 days in a 180-day period.

Northern Ireland will continue to follow many of the EU's rules in order to avoid a hardening of its border with the Republic of Ireland. This will mean however that new checks will be introduced on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

Now that it's no longer in the EU, the UK is free to set its own trade policy and can negotiate deals with other countries. Talks are being held with the US, Australia and New Zealand - countries that currently don't have free trade deals with the EU.

There may not be new taxes to pay at the border, but there will be new paperwork, and the potential for it to cause delays is a serious concern.

"This is the biggest imposition of red tape that businesses have had to deal with in 50 years," according to William Bain from the British Retail Consortium.

The UK says it will delay making most checks for six months, to allow people to get used to the new system, but the EU will be checking paperwork and carrying out checks from day one. So if businesses are not prepared, or do not fill in the new paperwork correctly, it could cause delays and backlogs at ports like Dover.

The government has known about this for years, and has made plans to divert trade to other ports around the country and has built lorry parks in Kent, to avoid gridlock on the roads.

It's difficult to predict what the scale of any disruption might be, but government minister Michael Gove has said that UK businesses should prepare for some "bumpy moments".

Sadly, no. Decisions are still to be made on data sharing and on financial services, and the agreement on fishing only lasts five years.

Also while the UK and EU have agreed to some identical rules now, they don't have to be identical in the future, and if one side takes exception to the changes, they can trigger a dispute, which could ultimately lead to tariffs (charges on imports) being imposed on some goods in the future.

Expect the threat of disputes to be a new constant in UK-EU relations.

What Brexit words mean

The last few years have seen many words and phrases enter our lives. We haven't used them here, but politicians do use them. Here's what some of them mean:

Transition period: The 11-month period following the UK's exit from the EU (finishing at the end of 2020), during which time the UK has followed EU rules, to allow leaders to make a deal.

Free trade: Trade between two countries, where neither side charges taxes or duties on goods crossing borders.

Level playing field: A set of rules to ensure that one country, or group of countries, doesn't have an unfair advantage over another. This can involve areas such as workers' rights and environmental standards. Free trade agreements like the Brexit deal often include level playing field measures.

Tariff: A tax or duty to be paid on goods crossing borders.

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Brexit: What you need to know about the UK leaving the EU

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The UK and EU begin a new relationship on 1 January 2021.

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The City Hall in London, England has resumed talks for the cities budget for 2020 through 2023. City Council will discuss and finalize a version of the budget document set to be released in early march. City staff project the upcoming multi-year budget will bring an average annual tax hike of at least 3.2 per cent for Londoners between 2020 and 2023.

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London councillors will convene at city hall on Tuesday afternoon as talks on the city's upcoming multi-year budget resume.

The budget aims to cover costs between 2020 and 2023, and a finalized version of the document is set to arrive by early March.

At Tuesday's meeting, which will see council convene as the strategic priorities and policy committee, councillors will discuss public feedback along with business cases from city staff that aim to provide breathing room for a tight budget.

City staff project the upcoming multi-year budget will bring an average annual tax hike of at least 3.2 per cent for Londoners between 2020 and 2023.

For a Londoner with a home value assessed at $241,000, a 3.2 per cent increase would tack on an extra $94 per year in property taxes. The highest projected tax hike is 4.5 per cent, which would tack on an extra $138 for a Londoner with the same home.

In an effort to reduce tax levy pressures, city staff are presenting nine business cases during Tuesday's meeting for councillors to consider.

One case includes the elimination of London's curbside Christmas tree collection, a cut that city staff say could save about $120,000. Other cases include doing away with a plan to increase staffing and security personnel for the London Public Library, which would save nearly $150,000, according to city staff.

Tax levy pressures will be a guiding factor for Ward 6 Coun. Phil Squire as he and fellow councillors wade through a sea of tough decisions.

"The goal for me will be to keep [it] at a reasonable rate," Squire said.

"By that, I mean a rate where we are going to not affect the good things that we are doing in the City of London, whether that's building housing and development."

The city has a number of events on the way that aim to gauge public opinion on pending budget requests. Events conducted in 2019 and the feedback they gathered will also be discussed during Tuesday's meeting.

Squire added that this feedback will be crucial for council's decisions.

Key dates for the events at which Londoners will have a chance to voice their opinion on the budget can be found on the city's website.

Those events include a pair of open houses slated for Saturday and next Wednesday, along with a public participation meeting at city hall on Jan. 23.

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London 2020-23 budget talks resume at city hall

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London councillors will convene at city hall on Tuesday afternoon as talks on the city's upcoming multi-year budget resume. The budget aims to cover costs between 2020 and 2023, and a finalized version of the document is set to arrive by early March.

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People in Cuba voted on the ratification of a new constitution in February 2019. The new constitution makes significant changes to the country's political, social, and economic order, just like our U.S. Constitution that was signed in 1787!

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On February 24, Cubans went to the polls to vote on the ratification of a new constitution, one that makes significant changes to the country's political, social, and economic order. This was the first time in 43 years that the Cuban people had the opportunity to express either support or opposition to a proposal that fundamentally restructures aspects of the Cuban economy and political system.

According to the Cuban electoral commission, voter turnout reached 84 percent (slightly higher than in Cuba's last election cycle in April 2018), with 87 percent of the votes in favor. The size of the vote suggests that, whatever misgivings or frustrations Cubans had with the new Constitutional proposal, they saw it as a step in the right direction.

The new Cuban Constitution retains language that proclaims the Communist Party's guiding role in Cuban society and socialism as being irreversible. At the same time, the document includes several major changes to Cuba's traditional economic and political model. Additionally, the drafting process that yielded the final text that was approved in the February 24 referendum involved a citizen consultation process that was relatively inclusive and even resulted in changes to the final document, an important indication that the Cuban government's gradual process of reform is continuing.

Overall, there was real and relatively open debate leading up to the referendum on the Cuban Constitution.

Cuba's current constitution was drafted and approved by referendum in 1976. Since then, the government's vision for the country's economy has changed significantly, especially in the past decade. Reform guidelines announced in 2011, alongside a Communist Party document approved in 2016, make clear that Cuba is moving toward a mixed economy that includes both a private sector and state-run sector, a more significant role for foreign investment, and where the central planning role, though not eliminated, is diminished. A small private sector has already emerged in Cuba, and grown substantially in the last few years.

Overall, the past decade has seen Cuba's Communist Party shift (at least in principle) toward a less heavy-handed approach to exercising influence over both Cuban society and the economy. In addition, expanded internet access has helped spread access to information and enabled greater and more open political debate.

In the face of these ongoing changes, the government launched a process to revise and update the 1976 Cuban Constitution. Some people had hoped that the final text would incorporate more radical changes in the Cuban model, and were disappointed. Indeed, some rumored changes did not appear in the final version that was voted on, while other proposed reforms appear to have been postponed to later debates about implementing legislation in the National Assembly.

Still, Cuba's new constitution includes some noteworthy overhauls. The document does the following:

Recognizes private property and promotes foreign investment as fundamental to the development of the economy.

Limits the term of the president-who is selected by the National Assembly, as in parliamentary systems-to two consecutive five-year terms, and requires that the president be under sixty when s/he is elected. (This is a dramatic change from the era in which aging revolutionaries monopolized key government positions, and were repeatedly approved in their positions.)

Restores the pre-1976 position of Prime Minister, an official selected by the president who leads government ministries on a day-to-day basis.

Forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Guarantees women's sexual and reproductive rights and protects women from gender violence.

Establishes the presumption of innocence in criminal proceedings and the right to habeas corpus.

Strengthens the authority of local governments.

Allows holding dual citizenship.

These changes, and others, will have to be implemented through legislation and regulation. That process is likely to be both gradual and complicated. However, the changes in the new Cuban Constitution are undeniably significant, both reflecting and advancing the process of economic reform, strengthening citizen protections, and making the political process more transparent. While not as transformative as some had hoped, they should not be dismissed as meaningless or cosmetic.

The constitutional process

The process by which the new constitution and referendum came about is also noteworthy, given the degree of citizen participation involved and the government's response to some of the feedback it received.

Constitutional reform had been under discussion since 2013, but it wasn't until June 2018 that a drafting commission (made up of senior government and Communist Party officials, the heads of several Cuban National Assembly committees, and academic and technical advisors) began to work on this issue seriously. The government, the National Assembly, and the Communist Party all engaged in ongoing internal debates about the draft constitution, reflecting a larger national conversation among political elites about the pace and depth of political and economic reform in Cuba

Despite Cuba's image as a state that has suppressed religious freedom, prevented organized political campaigns, and been unwilling to listen to citizens' views, the government responded.

The first draft of the constitution was approved by the National Assembly in July 2018. For a subsequent three-month period, Cubans were invited to suggest changes to the proposed draft. According to official numbers, more than 8 million people participated in nearly 112,000 debates in workplaces, schools, and community centers, and suggested a large number of proposed modifications to the constitution draft.

This participatory process was also significant in that, for the first time, Cuban expats were allowed to submit proposed changes to the constitution draft. However, other than diplomats, Cubans abroad were not allowed to vote in the referendum unless they returned to the island to cast their ballots.

Overall, the consultation process constituted a significant exercise in citizen participation. While officials were not required to make changes based on citizen feedback, there were some cases in which they did.

The most well-known example of this was the same-sex marriage provision: a draft of the constitution originally included language that defined marriage as a consensual union between two people, without specifying genders. This attracted significant pushback from evangelical churches and some sectors of the Cuban Catholic Church, who organized a campaign to get the provision withdrawn. Many Cubans supported this campaign and made their objections known by disseminating posters, stickers, and t-shirts, threatening to vote "no" in a constitutional referendum. Around 179,000 people signed a petition, backed by evangelical churches, calling on the government to withdraw the provision.

The new constitution and the constitutional drafting process mark important steps forward in the economy, the political system, and the decision-making process in Cuba...

Despite Cuba's image as a state that has suppressed religious freedom, prevented organized political campaigns, and been unwilling to listen to citizens' views, the government responded. The commission in charge of processing citizen feedback eventually withdrew the proposed language. The just-approved constitution now contains no language on marriage; the issue will likely be revisited in a debate over the Cuban Family Code sometimes in the next two years.

Meanwhile, the government launched a campaign to encourage "yes" votes with posters, advertising, and the use of social media. On the other hand, opposition forces also painted "no" signs, printed up T-shirts, and staged Twitter protests. While there were reports that some proponents of the "no" vote were harassed, overall, there was real and relatively open debate leading up to the referendum on the Cuban Constitution.

What happens next

Overall, the new constitution and the constitutional drafting process mark important steps forward in the economy, the political system, and the decision-making process in Cuba, and should be understood as signs of change in the thinking of the political leadership and in the population as a whole.

Indeed, the referendum comes at a complicated moment for Cuba. Economic growth has stalled in the past year, and is projected to be no more than1.5 percent in 2019. Austerity measures initiated in 2016 will continue this year, including cuts in energy and fuel to state companies and reduced imports of consumer goods. The government will struggle to maintain its investment in the social safety net, including free healthcare, education and other services

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is threatening additional economic sanctions on the island, which could make foreign investment riskier. These sanctions will damage Cuba's already fragile economy, and hurt everyday Cubans. In addition, they are likely to discourage the process of economic reforms and will have a negative impact on the growing private sector. A more constructive approach, and one that would encourage rather than discourage internal reform, would be to return to normalizing U.S.-Cuban relations. Ultimately, recognizing that important if gradual changes are underway in Cuba-as the new constitution illustrates- is in the interests of both the Cuban people and the United States.

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On February 24, Cubans went to the polls to vote on the ratification of a new constitution, one that makes significant changes to the country's political, social, and economic order. This was the first time in 43 years that the Cuban people had the opportunity to express either support or opposition to a proposal that fundamentally restructures aspects of the Cuban economy and political system.

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This is a article about a Turkish artist named Garip Ay who gained worldwide fame by adopting Ebru, which is a painting technique that allows him to do amazing paintings on water. This relates to my lesson in the way that artists are showcasing their talent in many different ways just like in the Philadelphia Art Museum

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Garip Ay has created numerous masterpieces, including a self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh, using Ebru (Credit: Garib Ay Art Studio/Facebook)

Artists are continually striving to find innovative ways to showcase their talent. Some, like Jackson Pollock, produce masterpieces by flinging pigments across the canvas, while others, like Iris Scott, paint with their bare fingers. Turkish artist Garip Ay has gained worldwide fame by adopting Ebru, an ancient technique that allows him to create stunning paintings on water.

Believed to have originatedin Central Asia in the 13th century, Ebru made its way to Turkey by the 16th century, where it was perfected. Also known as "paper marbling," the art form remains popular in Turkey, with many painters using the technique to create dazzling pieces, highly coveted by both collectors and tourists.

Garip Ay has added a modern twist to Ebru by using different materials (Credit Garip Ay Art Studio/Facebook)

Ebru artists begin by adding tragacanth gum or carrageenan to water. This helps increase the water's viscosity and prevents it from mixing with the paint. The solution is then poured into a wooden trough with the same dimensions as the solid surface on which the painting will finally rest. To keep the pigments afloat, and control, or enhance, their ability to spread across the water's surface, a few drops of ox bile are mixed in with each color.

To create the paintings, the artists first splash the paints on the water using brushes made with horsehair. They then use droppers to carefully shape the colors and create the desired designs. When complete, an absorbent surface, such as paper, is carefully placed on top to capture the painting. Once dry, the artwork is manually flattened and polished.

The water solution can be reused to create hundreds of paintings. When the water starts to look murky, Ebru artists splash additional, mostly blue, dyes that have been prepared with turbot bile rather than ox bile, to the center of the solution and let it spread. Once the entire water surface is covered, they paint one final "Sand Marbling," or "Fishbone Marbling," masterpiece, before tossing the solution.

The marbling technique was initially primarily used for book covers or to decorate the inside pages with wildly colorful papers. However, artists like Ay have added a modern twist by using absorbent fabrics, glass, and wood as solid surfaces and adding acrylic paints alongside traditional natural pigments.

Garip Ay's 2016 recreation of Starry Night made him an overnight worldwide sensation (Credit: Garip Ay Art Studio/Facebook)

Though Ay has created several amazing paintings since he began using Ebru in 2007, the most famous is his 2016 recreation of Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. Those seeking a more modern Ebru creation will be pleased to know that in 2017, the artist also painted characters from the popular Netflix series, Stranger Things.

Resources: boredpanda.com,curiositymag.com, garipay.blogspot.com, turkishculture.org

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Turkish Artist Garip Ay Uses Ancient Technique To Paint On Water

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Artists are continually striving to find innovative ways to showcase their talent. Some, like Jackson Pollock, produce masterpieces by flinging pigments across the canvas, while others, like Iris Scott, paint with their bare fingers. Turkish artist Garip Ay has gained worldwide fame by adopting Ebru, an ancient technique that allows him to create stunning paintings on water.