Art Instructor
Teaches in: Sonoma County
Mentor Mariella is a visual artist, storyteller, and maker who brings a wonderfully broad range of creative experience to Art & Soul. She earned her BFA in Visual Development from Academy of Art University and has also studied visual development and storytelling through Story Xperiential with Pixar Studios. In addition, for many years, she created custom artwork for Marriott hotels, including hand-painted, sculpted, and mixed-media pieces for special events and guest experiences.
Mariella especially loves using art to tell stories and bring ideas to life. As a professional visual development and mixed-media artist, she has created everything from character concepts and narrative illustrations to sculptures and commissioned artwork. She works in a variety of mediums, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, graphite, charcoal, ink, clay, and digital art.
Mariella also brings experience working with and teaching children through art and creative activities. She has created with children, characters, costumes, props, and imaginative art experiences designed to encourage storytelling, exploration, and creativity. She loves helping children experiment with materials, develop their own ideas, and discover that there is more than one way to create something beautiful.
As an Art & Soul mentor, Mariella brings both strong technical art skills and a playful, story-driven approach to creativity. She is excited to help students build their skills, gain confidence in their artistic choices, and discover just how much they can create when they let their imaginations lead the way.
