Marisa Aragón Ware

Marisa Aragón Ware is a multidisciplinary fine artist, illustrator, and author. She received her MFA from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and currently teaches art at the University of Colorado. 

Born and raised in Colorado, she garnered her deep appreciation of nature from a childhood spent roaming the forests of the Rocky Mountains. Those formative experiences heavily influence her work, and she strives to depict the beauty of the natural world to help others connect with its abundant primordial magic. She is particularly fascinated by the complex biodiversity that supports our ecosystems and the important role that every species plays in maintaining that delicate balance. Her work explores the theory of biophilia, which asserts that human dependence on nature extends beyond the material and physical sustenance. This dependence includes a human craving for aesthetic, cognitive, and even spiritual meaning. Our abilities to think, feel, communicate and find meaning in life are all wrapped up in this intrinsic connection to nature, which was forged during our evolutionary development. By tapping into the biophilic part of our brain that evolved over millions of years, she hopes to inspire viewers to appreciate the natural world and take action to protect it.

She most often creates with pen and ink, paper sculpture, and digital mediums, but also works as a tattoo artist as well as writing and illustrating children’s books.

Her clients include Disney, Mattel, Boston Beer Company, Penguin Random House, Gallo Wines, Signature Select, Simon and Schuster, Dogfish Head Brewery, Sterling Brands, Harper Collins, Tor Publishing, and Shambhala Publications.