Meet Marisa DeMaria | Abstract Artist & Creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marisa DeMaria and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marisa, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
The true end point of a piece as an abstract artist is ambiguous, but the nature of composition is still at work. You still have a feeling about things. You can often look at a piece, and even if you’re exhausted of creating it, you know that it is not done yet and you must keep going. Sometimes giving up means working on something new, taking a walk, coming back to a piece in weeks, painting over something that you once loved, or more. The creative process is to find way to keep going when you feel like giving up, until you get there.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work is best described as a reaction to the moment that came before it. I find that even in abstract art, nothing is truly random. Every brush stroke is as unique as the person guiding it. My paintings are a combination of the original vision or idea along with the elements of art at play. I want every person who looks at my work to be compelled to stay awhile, think about what they see, and have their own experience with it. After creating art at home for years, I’ve finally decided that I want to share it with the world and allow for the art to live a long and fruitful life picking up new meanings and narratives as new sets of eyes see it. I’ve learned that trying to share my work with people can build a beautiful bridge for art to become accessible and enjoyable for anyone. There’s often a barrier that separates the onlooker from the work that tells them they don’t know enough to understand what they see, but I aim to invite people to try and be content with their own interpretations.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I find it a fallacy that there isn’t much to do in Cleveland. I love showing people around here, I love suggesting spots, I love seeing new and local businesses. The Cleveland Museum of Art is must. It’s a free, massive and wonderful collection. I think it is a gift within my city. I also love showing people local artists by taking them to 78th street studios. The Friday that they’re open to the public is a lot of fun. You can meet artists, see a wide range of work there, purchase things, it’s great. Cleveland has a lot of neat outlets for hobbies, too. With a week’s time we could do bingo, yoga, the Metroparks, live music, sunset at Edgewater. Our winters are harsh at times, but every season can be enjoyable here. I gravitate towards dinner and drinks, though. I love an intimate conversation setting. The ultimate place for that is Cloak and Dagger in my opinion. Highly crafted and creative cocktails, and everything about the atmosphere is thoughtful and carefully curated. I have a long list of Cleveland recommendations and they always find their way to the top. Shoutout to them.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am so incredibly thankful for the time I spent at the Cleveland Museum of Art learning how to slow down and teach others to do the same. Learning the art of slow looking truly made sense of my love for partaking in and creating art. I was fortunate to be taught by Key Jo Lee during her time with the CMA. I learned from her how important and intertwined art and empathy are, and I really cherished her leadership. I believe it was Romare Bearden that said something like “the artist has to be somewhat like a whale, swimming with our mouths wide open, absorbing everything until he has what he really needs” — and to that affect I also thank every artist I’ve ever come in contact with. Art is a life long collaboration in that sense.

Website: www.MarisaDeMaria.com

Instagram: @arisamae.de; @arisamaede