MARISSA MADONNA | 1ST PLACE, 2024 PORTRAITS COMPETITION
1st Place Winning Entry, 2024 Portraits Competition
Marissa Madonna, Eclectic, acrylic and colored pencil
Marissa Madonna
Marissa Madonna remembers creating and illustrating stories as a child, inspired by the books her parents shared with her which kindled a passion for art. She earned a BFA at Hartford Art School in 2012, and is now an illustrator specializing in portraiture. Her illustrations have been featured in numerous publications and television appearances, and she has collaborated with ESPN and Hartford Symphony Orchestra.
Marissa Madonna, Catania Fish Market, acrylic and colored pencil
Madonna's entry, Eclectic, has won the 1st Place award in our Portraits Competition. She shared her thoughts about the painting:
"Going into this painting, I knew I wanted to create something totally new, so I took photos of a friend I'd never painted in a town where we worked together. As an artist, I love working with models and allowing our time together to inspire me — their style, the place, the moment — and getting to tell their story in a new way.
“I wanted to capture the details of the scene as I remembered it; the warmth of the autumn sunlight, the expression of my model, and the spirit of the downtown where we were.
"I found so much beauty in all the details, from the objects in the window and reflection on the glass, to details of my model. Elements in this painting also represented my own inspirations throughout my journey as an artist, and I wanted to showcase that.”
Marissa Madonna, Sean, acrylic and colored pencil
"I created this piece with a mixed media approach combining acrylic and colored pencil. I alternate layers of pencil and acrylic ink washes to build up values and richness. Later, I add opaque white acrylic for bright highlights. This technique combines the boldness of paint with the delicacy of drawing for fine details. To this day, this is one of the best times I have ever had creating artwork.
"My artwork is inspired by visual storytelling. The thing I love most is capturing my subject's likeness through vitalizing details, both on the surface of the artwork, as well as the narrative behind it."