Hi there.
I'm Marissa, and I work as an illustrator in Lansing, MI. I hold a BFA from Kendall College of Art and Design, where I studied Art Education and Illustration. After college, I worked as an elementary art teacher, using school breaks to cultivate my personal work.
In the fall of 2018, I left teaching to pursue a career as a freelance illustrator. Since then, I've developed the origami-inspired series, “Drawing Folded Paper,” and illustrated two children’s books, Get that GRIT! and The Itchy Secret. I have a sunny little studio above a plant shop, where I love to start a hundred projects and maybe finish a few.
My work, often narrative in nature, uses primarily drawing media to achieve a “bittersweet aesthetic.” I aim to find the lighthearted side of struggles and moments of connection in everyday happenings.
Cheers, and much love.