"Art as Escapism" - The CreativeMindClass Blog
I'm from Venezuela. I was raised in a city that was very tropical that was surrounded by mountains and palm trees, however I sadly wasn't really allowed to fully explore the world around me (partly because of my parents' excessive protection however, mostly due to all the anxieties that surrounded my home country). Most of the time, television and books became my main methods of entertainment - along with 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 mostly a pastime that I had a little bit conscious that it wouldn't extend beyond Venezuela. But then my family decided to move to the UK, and this transformed everything for me. As a teen, I was finally allowed more independence, was free to explore places alone and thought about what I really desired to do.
My fascination with the design of characters and stories has led me to comics which in turn inspired me to draw. The pieces all were put together. After a couple of years of studies (and a lot of work) I'm currently freelance as an Illustrator from London.
I think my work is bold, fun and a bit messy (in an excellent manner!). Sometimes , it's simple and sometimes it's very detailed. However, it always features a character or animal or even a beautiful piece of scenery. I believe all my illustrations are part of the same universe.
For me, the most important thing is to have fun with it. I am reminded of things that enthralled me as a child as a child: vivid colors and characters that are sneaky, hilarious situations, tiny details to be lost into. My goal is to encapsulate all of these aspects whenever I create something new. If I can make the viewer feel excited or content, or feel like they have discovered something new, then I've accomplished what I wanted.
"Another key element for me is the sense of humor. I realized over time that I'm probably not an qualified person to produce serious or conceptual artworks However, I'm pretty good at making something fun and lighthearted to bring a smile to someone's face. I play to my strengths now."
Follow Marianna's art adventure on Instagram and see detailed drawings of the books for children she worked on in lockdowns, as well as some behind-the-scenes images of her recoding Skillshare class, just to mention a few. The link to the class as well as Marianna's books can be found through her web site.
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