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PAPER MARBLER AND BOOKBINDERCOCKPIT ARTS, LONDON LUCY MCGRATHWhat’s your background?Lucy McGrath: I was really into drawing so I ended up at the University of Brighton doing Illustration. They have an old bindery and letterpress studio where I discovered bookbinding and decided that I love making things, rather than just drawing.Why did you choose this career?Marbling really caught my imagination after a visit to Turkey, where it is known as ‘ebru’. I dida workshop there and when I returned to England I wanted to carry on, but sadly the last big marbling studio closed in 2012. I decided I couldn’t let it die and really wanted to keep it going and to bring my perspective to it.What does marbling involve? First you prepare a bath of gloopy thickened water. You can then sprinkle or drop the paint colours on top, one by one. Adding surfactants or using tools like rakes, combs or even hair gives you different effects. Once you’re happy with the pattern, you put a piece of prepared paper gently onto the surface.How have you brought marbling up to date?Traditional marbling was very much about primary colours. I think it has to innovate and keep being relevant. I use acrylic paints rather than gouache or watercolour, and vivid colours, such as neons and metallics. What or who inspires you?Garip Ay – he did a Youtube clip where he created a Van Gogh painting using Turkish marbling. Howard Hodgkin – his colours are incredible. And also nature, like geological formations, oil on water or the corona around the moon. All get me thinking: "How can I get that effect in marbling?"What do you find most challenging about your work? Time management. As a sole trader you wish you could clone yourself. I’d love to spend all my time marbling, but I also have to make the books themselves, plus do the admin, marketing and postage.What do you wish you’d known when you started out?That I’m not my customer! You have to ask yourself who is actually buying the products. For instance, men love my marbled journals and had I known that earlier I would have made more items that appeal to that audience. You received a grant from The Arts Society. How has it helped?It’s great to be at Cockpit Arts, I have a one-to-one advisor there and having the access to a creative community is very helpful. I have quit my day job and I would never have been able to do that without the support of The Arts Society. FACTYou can marble anything that is porous – including leather, ceramics, fabric, ribbon and wood marmorpaperie.co.uk11 Lucy McGrath in her marbling studio2 A bound book from her range, featuring her signature use of striking colours24IN THE STUDIO