Rachel O'Connell is a multi-media marbling artist and an educator, with over 30 years marbling experience. She trained in leatherwork over 15 years ago for upholstery and began marbling on leather over a decade ago. She marbles patterns on paper, wood and natural textiles.
She launched her sustainable brand, ROCWORX® in 2021 has since exhibited and sold work in Manchester Art Gallery, Dulwich Picture Gallery and The British Museum. During 2024, she will have work in Brantwood Museum with Blue Patch from July to September and in MAKE Southwest in July to August.
With a background in interior design, and love for textile art, Rachel combines her heritage skills with a contemporary design aesthetic to create unique marbled textile art for home décor, stationery and wearable art. Her work is sold in galleries and independent retailers in the South West and in national museums.
Rachel works on commission to conserve leather items and designs to clients brief.
Rachel is a sustainable maker, working to being net zero aligned. With a no waste philosophy, Rachel has created a circular design range, using offcuts of marbled leather to create jewellery and accessories. She works with businesses to repurpose their textiles, saving them from landfill. She is currently working with theatrical textiles and ballet slippers received from the Royal Opera House, and with textiles received from Surf School, with some of the sales proceeds going to charity.
Each item is hand-crafted, using traditional tools, heritage-craft techniques and responsibly sourced materials for provenance and environment impact. Materials are often by-products of other industries, or made from recycled materials, repurposed, offering an eco-conscious and environmental solution to landfill waste.
Valuing the life given, the leather goods are designed with consideration, using as much of the hide as possible, with smallest amounts being composted or added into hand made paper. Leather is branded to assure authentic, British craftsmanship.
Marbling is an endangered heritage craft, on the Heritage Crafts 'Endangered Crafts Red List'
Rachel is one of less than 20 professional marbling artists in the UK and one of 2 artists who marble on textiles.
Rachel is making progress with carbon auditing through Blue Patch's Let's Do Net Zero programme. She is also attending the Naturesave Sustainability Service with support from the environmental consultancy Positive Impacts.
Rachel uses green packaging, manufactured in the UK or recycles received packaging, saving it from landfill. Her items are carefully wrapped in acid free tissue, then cardboard roll, box or bubble paper and finally in water-resistant waxed paper. Rachel uses hand made paper, linen or recycled satin ribbons and hand made gift cards for her gift wrapping service.
A portion of her profits goes towards charity and a tree being planted each year.
Rachel is extending her knowledge for the craft of hand made paper, so that she can recycle her textiles and paper into this product.
She is researching the use of plants for dyes for her fabrics.
Rachel is also working on filtration design to be able to filter her paints and marbling water in a less manual way.