Ever creative, when Marisa Lynn Benoit first gravitated from painting and the performing arts into the (then) new world of digital design, she put aside her paintbrush.

For the next decade, Marisa dove into exploring the computer’s expressive potential. After graduating with a Studio Art and Computer Design Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Oneonta, Marisa’s work was published online and in print. Learning how to illustrate with a mouse and then a digital pen, she began creating unique company branding, animated photos, video, and social media content.

An Experienced Guide

Marisa began working with Alex Grey, the visionary artist, who, along with his wife, Allyson, founded the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, an art community, gallery, and trans-denominational church in New York’s Hudson Valley.

As a graphic designer and manager of events, it was through Alex’s disciplined depictions of the anatomy, and his critiques, that Marisa was guided to strive for realism in her own work. Marisa’s portraiture, informed by the color values and brush strokes of Edwardian era master John Singer Sargent, capture character as well as likeness.

A Spiritual Rebirth

In 2009, Marisa again picked up a paintbrush while in Ceu do Mapia, a Brazilian Christian community in the Amazonian National Forest of Purus. In this remote village, there was little to no internet access, and Marisa was surrounded by a community of other artists.

Inspired by biblical illustrations and the mystical connection with the divine she discovered during the nearly eight years she spent in the forest, Marisa’s journey toward a spiritual rebirth continued when she returned to America.

Marisa’s unique appreciation for nature shines through her well-crafted artistic renderings of water, animals, and scenic landscapes. Some of her commissions have also included painting from vintage photographs, and pet portraits.

When Technology Meets Tradition

Working from her home studio in Malta with Christian worship music playing in the background, Marisa merges painting and graphic design. During her two years working for Saratoga TODAY, she was the magazine designer for Simply Saratoga, her award-winning layouts were recognized by the New York Press Association, in their annual Better Newspaper Contest.   

To complete a small oil painting, Marisa paints for an average of 20 hours. By incorporating digital design techniques (such as adjusting the lighting and vantage point) she creates reference images for her paintings. By superimposing layers of slightly different images together, a picture emerges that is almost multidimensional.

While painting, Marisa will pause to take a photo of her work-in-progress, then superimpose it over the reference image to ensure that everything is correct.

A Divine Connection

When she paints, Marisa is guided by a biblical world view.

“Stories out of the Bible have inspired my journey. By coming to Christ and being saved, I feel like He is always here with me. That I am His subject, and that it is through His life that I am here, doing what I do,” she said.

For commissions and to see more of her work,
follow @marisalynnbenoit on Instagram and go to
www.marisalynndesigns.com