As a full-time digital illustrator for Doodle Press Ltd, I spend much of my professional life sitting at a computer screen in Bedford, frantically designing. I get slow, tactile and messy through my hobby as a colour obsessed reduction linocut printer.
I’m self-taught and work without a dedicated studio or press. I create all my prints at my living room table by hand using a baren and a wooden spoon. I love this risky process because mistakes can’t be undone, unlike Photoshop. It forces me to be very thoughtful about every stage of the print creation. I enjoy how images build up gradually and carry slight variations and human made imperfections.
My work is inspired by British and wildlife, especially birds. These little feathered characters always add colour and happiness to my long nature walks.
Beyond my personal practice, I host Crafternoons at The Higgins Museum and I’m a committee member of The Circus of Illustration in Bedfordshire. We organise workshops, exhibitions, and pop-up events to celebrate and promote art and illustration in Bedford for adults and children.
Marisa, originally from Bedford, a historic market town near Cambridge, UK, studied Architecture at Sheffield University, but gravitated towards illustration. Over the past two decades, she has used her digital design skills as an artist and illustrator in the greeting cards and book publishing industries. Currently, she is a full-time studio artist for Doodle Press Ltd, where her designs have won at The Henries, the prestigious awards for the greeting cards industry.
During the pandemic, Marisa was furloughed and used this time to explore alternative artistic mediums. She fell for linocut art, because it doesn't require expensive tools or a large workspace. She loves meticulously planning her images and she enjoys the soothing, meditative-like carving process. The tangible nature of linocut art stimulated her senses, unlike her usual screen and machine.
Marisa is a self-taught linocut artist and enjoys mixing her own ink, rather than relying solely on tube colours, opting for bold, vibrant hues in her artwork.
British wildlife, particularly birds, is Marisa’s main artistic inspiration. She finds joy and peace whilst observing these creatures during her long nature walks.
Marisa is a founder and committee member of The Circus of Illustration, and she runs workshops at The Higgins in Bedford. Additionally, she was the original designer of The Bedford Clanger, Bedford’s dedicated entertainment and leisure guide.
In 2025, Marisa’s linocut reduction print, ‘Meeting at The Chapel’, was awarded the 2025 Hickman Design Award at The Derby Print Open.
In April 2026, Marisa will be exhibiting her linocut reduction prints at The Stapleford Granary Arts Centre near Cambridge.
