About

ROCWORX Rachel O'Connell working on marbled leather in her studio. Tools are on the bench and the artist is wearing a leather apron

In my old studio, wearing my first START leather apron,

creating a commission of a heritage patterned marbled leather journal.

RACHEL O’CONNELL

Hello, I'm Rachel, the founder and designer-maker at ROCWORX. I am a multi-media marbling artist and educator, living in the South Hams, Devon. I have over 30 years experience in marbling and I started training as a leatherworker with John Hagger here in Devon over 15 years ago. I began marbling in my teens and have since worked with artists all over the world, learning and layering up the skills for my marbling craft in a creative environment. I combined marbling on leatherwork over a decade ago.

As a sustainable artist, I am working towards being net zero aligned, learning with Blue Patch a charity that supports SME creative makers to reduce their carbon impact on their environment. I use natural materials and repurpose synthetic textiles, some of which are donated by local and national organisations, such as the Royal Ballet and Opera, London and Taylors of Harrogate, York.

Royal Ballet and Opera Sustainable Textile Artist Project (on-going)

I have a background in, and love for, textile art, sewing and printing, all of which influence my designs. I have worked in printing, as a silk screen printer, in interior design, as a seamstress and upholsterer and in mainstream education and community arts projects with indigenous groups overseas. I also trained in accounting and worked in finance for a number of years. Marbling remained a creative hobby for many years, a chance for me to de-stress from my busy working life.

Credit image: Jim Wileman 2025

The pandemic allowed me time to create and, after making a number of items and being asked to sell them, in 2021, I launched my sustainable brand, ROCWORX. However it then took another year to finally launch my website in 2022. It has been a steep learning curve for the business side, but I have found great mentorship with Small Business Britain and Theo Paphitis as an SBS winner. I have also benefitted from being part of Find A Maker (Craft Festival) and Blue Patch, both of which have helped me creatively and to work sustainably.

Since turning professional, I have exhibited and sold work in Manchester Art Gallery, Dulwich Picture Gallery, The British Museum, Weald and Downland Living Museum, Brantwood Museum, Craftworks (London Craft Week), Handmade Oxford and MAKE Southwest. I now have work in a select number of galleries and independents in Devon and London. As a Heritage Crafts maker, I have also sold, demonstrated and tutored workshops at Craft Festival.

2024 Exhibition piece

Brantwood Museum: CHOWA Suminagashi silk kimono and obi

£475.00

Using dead-stock silk, saved from landfill with double layered Suminagashi ink marbling. John Ruskin loved pattern and nature and the pattern reflects the harmony of air over water.

Suminagashi Ink Marbled Kimono, Brantwood Museum, 2024

Check my News + Events page for more information on upcoming events, exhibitions and workshops.

MEMBERSHIP

I am a proud member of

ACID
Blue Patch
Crafts Council
Devon Artists Network
Find A Maker (Crafts Festival)
Heritage Crafts
Green Makers Initiative
Leather UK
MAKE Southwest
The Society of Bookbinders

EDUCATOR

In the past few years it has been my privilege to tutor workshops in mainstream education from primary 4+ years to A Level and also with SEN students. I also work with community groups and for MAKE Southwest’s National Saturday Club, and Green Maker Initiative Sustainable Schools Project, tutoring teenagers who wish to pursue art as a career. I have in the past privately tutored trauma survivors too, helping them in their healing journey.

I am a tutor at West Dean College, Oxford Summer Art School and National Trust Heritage and Skills Centre. I have also volunteered as a Speaker for Schools, tutoring students interested in a career in art. I tutor marbling and marbled product design with The Creative Dimensions Trust, an educational charity set up to help disadvantaged teenagers in London to be taught art skills and crafts to develop and pursue a career in art and gain UCAS points.

Marbling is a beautiful, mindful craft. My workshops offer a safe space to create, play with colour, make mistakes and learn through failing, but most importantly, have FUN! Even after over 30 years of marbling, mistakes happen and can lead to a new beautiful pattern appearing as a result, I like to call it a happy accident. I am always learning creatively, updating and honing skills and techniques, and for professional development.

When marbling, you learn that you cannot always control the outcome, nor make the same pattern twice, only a similar pattern, as the paints tend to move over the water, so you learn that it is about the process of creativity. The breath-work involved is mindful, helping focus the mind and can ease anxiety. Patterns cannot be replicates, but can be similar, making each piece made unique.

Marbling is classed as an endangered heritage craft and I am listed in the Red List of Endangered Crafts, created by the Heritage Crafts Association. My hope is to show that this heritage craft can be used in contemporary design. My aim is to create beautiful, practical products to wear and use every day in the home and to wear, and to also help educate, with the goal to pass on this beautiful craft to future younger generations. I marble using traditional Turkish, European and Japanese techniques, incorporating marbling into my textile items, including leather, as well as my embossed printmaking art work and paper stationery.

I work with leather as it is a sustainable material, a by-product of the food industry and is compostable. It is a beautiful, yet robust, practical material and, if cared for, will last for hundreds of years, unlike synthetic (plastic fossil) materials.

If you want to know more about the leather or marbling process, I've popped a bit more information in my Leather and Leather Care and Marbling pages.

In memory of our first dog, Amber the Sprollie.

Forever remembered, playing with a ball at our favourite beach by Burgh Island, Bigbury-on-Sea, South Devon

Everything I make is made to order, with 3-4 weeks shipment for customers from order and 6-8 week shipment for trade from order. I accept commissions, working to customer’s brief and happy to repair damaged leather goods. I also do a regular shop drop to my Ready to Ship range, offering a chance for customers to purchase one off pieces, as well as perfectly imperfect seconds, samples and second hand equipment and tools.

Thank you for visiting my shop and following my creative journey.

You can contact me via email: hello@rocworx.co.uk

♥︎ ROC