"Art as Escapism" - The CreativeMindClass Blog

I'm originally from Venezuela. I was raised in a city that was very tropical surrounded by hills and palm trees, however I sadly wasn't really allowed to explore my environment fully (partly because of my parents' excessive protection and a lot more due to all the anxieties that surrounded my home country). Most of the time, television and books became my main forms of escapism - and drawing! I spent so much time drawing my favourite anime characters as well as my family, friends, pets I wasn't allowed to have, costumes, and all sorts of things.

It was mainly a hobby, and I was somewhat aware that it would not go beyond that in Venezuela. My family then decided to relocate to the UK which changed everything for me. When I was a teenager I had finally been granted more independence, was free to explore places by myself and to think about the things I would like to accomplish.

My fascination with characters and storytelling inspired me to read comics that in turn, led me to illustration. The pieces all were put together. After some years of study (and lots of hard work) I'm currently freelance as an illustrator from London.

My style is bold, fun and sometimes a little messy (in an excellent way!). It can be straightforward and sometimes it's very detailed. However, every illustration has a person, or an animal, or even a beautiful piece of landscape. I believe each illustration is all part of the same world.

For me, the most important thing is to have fun with it. It is easy to think of things that enthralled me as a child as a child: vivid colors as well as sly characters, humorous scenarios, little details that you can be lost within. My goal is to encapsulate as many of these elements when I design something fresh. If I can inspire the viewer to be excited or satisfied, or even feel that they have discovered something new, then I've accomplished the goal I set for myself.

"Another essential element that I am looking for is the sense of humor. It was apparent over time that I'm probably not an adequate person to make very complex or abstract artworks, but I can be pretty good at creating something lighthearted that can bring a smile to someone's face. I work to my strengths right now."

You can follow Marianna's artistic journey on her Instagram; discover detailed illustrations from her children's book she wrote during lockdowns as well as backstage photos of her redoing her Skillshare class, just to mention a few. The links to the class as well as Marianna's books you can find through her web site.