Maggie Marley - Letterpress Print

What do you make?

I produce a range of stationery which includes letterpress greeting cards, prints and wedding invitations.  I am presently developing a new product range which will include textiles.

Could you tell us a little bit about your studio?

I work from my garden studio in Donegal. It’s a log cabin that my hubby and myself built one weekend with the help of a carpenter. The studio is lovely and bright but it can get a bit chilly in the winter months.

Favourite thing about the space and how do you get into the mindset of making?

I love the wooden interior, it feels very Scandinavian which is a style I love. I surround myself with nice retro pieces of furniture and objects which inspire me to refine my design ideas. At the moment, because of my peaceful garden outlook, I have been focusing on botanical themes.

What is your favourite tool and why?

Afraid to say it, my favourite tool is my iMac but it's a love hate relationship. It’s great for scanning my drawings, creating artwork for printing plates, and testing colour combinations and patterns, but I hate having to spend long days on it.

Can you describe the making process and inspiration behind your work?

My typographical cards are inspired by vintage type and drawings, I try to keep them very crisp and clean. The botanical Letterpress range involves pressing plants, leaves and flowers in a book which are then scanned and traced to create black & white drawings for plate making. I then use a Vintage 1950’s Adana Letterpress machine to print the designs.

At the moment, I am in the process of developing new work inspired by the rural landscape and the Tory Island Painters. This involves more experimental mark making and repeat pattern designs. Eventually, everything is scanned to my computer so I can finalise designs for production.

What led you to choosing this craft as a profession?

When I undertook my foundation course in art college, I fell in love with printmaking, but I ended up studying Graphic Design. Fortunately though, we ended up doing loads of screenprint on the course. Many paths later (which included a stint studying furniture craftsmanship), I returned to hands-on printing with a final degree in Printed Textiles.

What do you love most about it?

I love the whole process from the experimental drawing and research to the mixing of inks/dyes and finally the physical printing, whether it be letterpress or screenprinting.  

You can browse a selection of work from greeting cards to prints by Maggie in our Drury Street shop. Her collection of fern and ivy prints are available through our online shop here.