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In conversation with Catherine from Studio Paperie

Author Editor - 4 minute read

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, we’re putting the spotlight on inspiring female creative talents. From marble artists to candle painters, we’ll be showcasing their creative talents, proudest moments, female inspirations and more.

Our first female creator is Sunderland based marble artist and founder of handmade marbled goods brand, Studio Paperie, Catherine. Her fresh take on the traditional craft of marbling is taking Instagram by storm. We caught up with Catherine to explore her story, creativity, and biggest achievement.  

Scroll to discover more... 

 

 

Catherine, can you tell us a little bit about yourself ... 

Hello! I’m Catherine and I’m a 26-year-old marbling artist from Sunderland. I work for a charity in Newcastle providing opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and ill mental health. My background is in music, having worked as a music teacher for several years. In my spare time I enjoy singing with the Royal Northern Sinfonia chorus, as well as running my own luxury stationery business: Studio Paperie.




How did you get into hand-marbling art?  

 I first discovered marbling after falling down a bit of a YouTube hole of ‘related videos’. The marbling process looked incredibly cathartic, and I was immediately drawn in by the intricacy of the patterns. I asked for a marbling kit for Christmas, and before long I was hooked!

 

 

From all your marble designs/pieces, which one is your favourite & why? 

 That’s a tricky one, but I think I’d have to say my marbled stars. I started making them around Christmas of last year as a bit of an experiment initially, but I soon became totally enthralled by them! I think the combination of the star shapes and the marbled colours work particularly well together.

 

 

How would you describe your style of marbling?  

 I would describe my style of marbling as modern and fresh. Marbling is commonly used in book binding, and as much as I love the richness of the traditional colour palettes, I wanted to bring something new to the craft with a more contemporary range of colours.




Where is your favourite place to get creative? 

My favourite place to get creative would have to be my own workspace. I spent months trying to create a space that really felt my own, and I think I’m just about there. I have two separate areas, one for marbling (which gets VERY messy), and another for bookbinding. I bought an old industrial desk a while back and I find it gives me all the space I could possibly need to dream up my creations.

 

 

What advice do you have for anyone who wants to get into marbling art? 

 Marbling is an incredible craft and can be very rewarding. Equally, however, it can be very challenging at times as you never quite know how the paint is going to behave! With that in mind, I think my biggest piece of advice would be to persevere with it and invest in good quality materials! It took me a while to get into the flow and find what works best for me, but it’s well worth putting in the time.

 

 

What’s been your biggest achievement/proudest moment/career highlight so far? 

 I think my biggest achievement was running my very first workshop as part of the Make and Mend Festival at Ormesby Hall. I was very nervous beforehand, as I wasn’t sure if everything would come together, or whether people would even be interested in giving it a go. I needn’t have worried though, as the day was a huge success! It was such a thrill to be able to introduce the craft to so many people who had never tried it before!




What Does International Women’s Day mean to you? 

Gender equality and the celebration of women is, of course, a year-round responsibility. Having an entire day devoted to the cause, however, is an amazing opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women. I think it’s also important to recognise what each of us can do to help make the world a more equal, and ultimately fairer place to be. On a personal level, it’s also a great excuse to shout out some of my favourite female-owned businesses, and learn about some new ones too of course!

 

 

Is there a woman that has inspired you most in life/your career?

 My biggest female inspiration is my mum. She has an amazing sense of style and an amazing eye for all things interior related. She also happens to be one of the most selfless people I know. During lockdown for example, she delivered homecooked meals to elderly people in the community (and continues to do so post lockdown, too). She is my biggest cheerleader and continues to inspire me every day with her kindness.

 

 

What’s next for you? Anything exciting plans/projects for 2022?

 I’m very excited to be delivering more marbling workshops in 2022. It is always such a joy to pass on the art of marbling to others, and to see how much enjoyment people get from producing their own little piece of magic! I also have plans for some new products and will be foraying into home wear too which is super exciting!

 
 

Quick Fire Round

 Autumn winter or spring summer...  Spring/Summer


Describe your fashion sense in 3 words… Parisian, vintage, playful


The three essential items in your wardrobe…  My docs, my vintage faux fur coat, and my chunky knit jumper


What's the one thing you can't live without? ... My music collection


When I'm not marbling, I’m… Singing or playing the piano