Art as Escapism - The CreativeMindClass Blog

I'm from Venezuela. I was raised in a city that was very tropical surrounded by hills and palm trees. However, I it was never allowed for me to fully explore the world around me (partly due to my parents' overprotectiveness, but mostly because of the daily anxieties in my own country). Most of the time, television and reading became my primary ways of escape - as did drawing! I would spend hours drawing my favorite anime characters, my friends, pets I wasn't allowed to have, costumes, and everything else.

It was mostly a pastime, and I was somewhat aware that it would not go beyond that in Venezuela. However, my family made the decision to move to UK which changed everything for me. As a teen I had finally been granted greater freedom, and was able to travel by myself and to think about the things I would like to accomplish.

My fascination with characters and storytelling inspired me to read comics which then led me to illustration. Everything came together then. Following a few years of studying (and a lot of hard work), I'm now freelancing as an Illustrator in London.

I think my work is bold, fun and somewhat chaotic (in a good manner!). Sometimes it can be simple but it could also be very detailed. However, it always features a character or animal or some nice piece of nature. I believe each illustration is one in the same.

For me, the most important thing is having fun with it. I think of the things that enthralled me as a child in my youth: vibrant colours as well as sly characters, humorous situations, tiny details to be lost within. The goal of my work is to capture all of these aspects when I design something fresh. If I'm able to get the viewer to feel happy or content, or feel like they noticed something interesting and interesting, then I've succeeded in what I wanted to achieve.

"Another key element for me is the sense of humor. Over time, I've realized that I'm not an adequate person to make very complex or abstract artworks however I am quite adept at creating something lighthearted that can make someone laugh. I play to my strengths right now."

You can follow Marianna's artistic process on her Instagram Discover detailed artwork from her children's book she created during lockdowns and some backstage photos of her redoing her Skillshare class, just to mention just a handful. The link to the class and her books you can find on her site.

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