"Art as Escapism" - The CreativeMindClass Blog
I'm originally from Venezuela. I was born in a city that was very tropical surrounded by hills and palm trees, but sadly wasn't really allowed to fully explore the world around me (partly due to my parents' overprotectiveness and a lot more due to all the anxieties that surrounded my home country). Almost always indoors, TV and reading became my primary methods of entertainment - along with drawing! I would spend hours drawing my most favorite characters from anime as well as my family, friends, pets I wasn't allowed to own, costumes, and everything else.
It was mainly a hobby that I had a little bit certain that I would never be a full-time job in Venezuela. But then my family decided to move to UK which transformed everything for me. As a teen I finally had more independence, was free to go to places by myself and to think about the things I wanted to do.
My love for character design and narrative has led me to comics which then inspired me to draw. All the pieces were put together. Following a few years of studying (and many hours of hard work) I'm now freelance as an illustrator from London.
My work I believe is bold, fun and a bit wild (in a good way!). Sometimes it can be simple and sometimes it's extremely detailed, but every illustration has a person, or an animal, or some nice piece of landscape. I love to believe that each illustration is part of the same universe.
For me, the most important thing is having fun while doing it. I think of the things that delighted me growing up: really vivid colours and characters that are sneaky, hilarious moments, and tiny little details to get lost in. It is my goal to encompass as many of these elements when I design something fresh. If I'm able to get the viewer to feel happy or satisfied, or even feel that they noticed something interesting, then I've accomplished what I wanted.
"Another key element for me is the sense of humor. It was apparent over time that I'm probably not an competent person to create abstract or serious art However, I'm pretty good at producing something humorous that will bring a smile to someone's face. I work to my strengths currently."
You can follow Marianna's artistic journey on her Instagram Discover detailed artwork of the books for children she wrote during lockdowns as well as backstage photos of her redoing her Skillshare class, to mention a few. Links to the class and her books can be found on the website.