Hello everyone! This week I have another fantastic artist to share with all of you! I recently met this artist in my General Illustration class, and I have been floored by their work each and every time she presents. Their portfolio is diverse, expansive, and impressive, and I just knew that she would make a wonderful spotlight! Without further ado…

Marissa Wynne Schuler

I am majoring in Art because…

I’ve always been an artsy kid… and I’m growing up into an artsy adult! Nothing brings me more joy than creating things (especially animals). Getting better and better and improving my craft is addictive, and I always want to keep making things! Even when I have a dip in my improvement or art block, I still feel confident that art is my “thing.”

The kinds of things that inspire me are…

Mainly animals, for certain. I started off drawing unicorns and animals for a majority of my childhood, so I was a bit late to the more human party. I still like drawing people, but animals will always be a main inspiration of my art. Along those lines, nature and fantasy as whole “genres” really inspire me! I love a mythical vibe. Other more minor inspirations of mine include: medieval artwork, bestiaries, and manuscripts; impressionist artists like Monet, realism as a whole, and anything sketchy and loose. I love keeping my art sketchy with a stray line here or there 🙂

My favorite art class so far was…

Jeez… that’s really difficult… I might run down my top three. Ceramics I think has to take the number one spot, legitimately just because it was a very new medium to me, and I was surprised by how much I liked it! I thought I was awful with 3D media as a whole, so it was super exciting learning how to properly work with clay and being able to hold the creatures I make in my hands. It was life-changing. I’ve really liked sculpture with Stephen Colley! He’s delightful and has taught me a lot about making sculpture works to sell. I think my third favorite has been general illustration with Steven Brower. His assignments are clearly time-tested and delightful. The class always has a nice, relaxed atmosphere and he provides a lot of feedback, as well as time for us to give feedback to each other, which I really like. I got to watch us all strengthen each other’s work over the course of the class 🙂

When I am not in class…

I’m working on stuff for classes haha… I’m not made for an 18 credit schedule unfortunately. I’m very, very perfectionistic, and I tend to do my art in such a way that it looks completely and clearly unfinished until I’m satisfied with it. Aside from that, though, I’m usually crocheting, sewing, and walking about in the woods when it’s warm enough 🙂

The coolest thing I have done at Marywood so far was…

I got to design merch for KPS (Keystone Paranormal Society)! It’s so cool to have my art on a shirt! I’m now the vice president of the club! We explore various haunted locations around the area and talk about our encounters. It’s a really fun group 🙂

When I graduate…

I want to, ideally, be doing a lot of different things all at once… which I’m already doing, but I’d be doing it for work instead of school 🙂 I want to consistently do craft fairs to sell crochet and assorted other makings, I’ll have my redbubble still going, ideally I’ll have an Etsy to sell 2D and 3D works, I’ll do commissions, I’ll post videos of my process online, and if that all doesn’t pop off as much as I’d like it to, I’ll probably end up teaching art. I’m considering getting my masters. We’ll see if I do.

I would recommend the Art program at Marywood because…

There’s a very broad range of mediums and classes offered at Marywood. There’s a ceramics studio and kiln, a crucible to pour bronze, dark rooms for photography, and lots more. I’m glad I’ve been able to try out many of these things. I like doing many many different types of art, so Marywood is a good choice if you aren’t sure what form of art is your favorite, want to get a chance to try new things, or, if you’re like me, and you’re interested in doing all types of art all the time!

What excites me most about Art is…

I like the thrill of recreating something from life a lot! It’s thrilling to continually improve and create, not just from life, but from my head as well. There’s always going to be days where it doesn’t come naturally or you aren’t in the mood to create, but it always comes back to me 🙂 It’s nice to have a calling.

What is the best advice you can give to other artists?

I’m not sure if I can generate up my best advice… I have plenty to say, but not sure if it’ll be my best. I’ve learned over time that people are scared to do art when they didn’t start early. Daily practice is crazy and really makes a difference. I’d say not to feel discouraged if you’re a new artist. If you’re a long-time artist, I think my advice would be to not put down your art. We fall into that trap all the time. I feel like being negative about your art manifests your art stagnating or taking longer to improve. I’ve learned over time that, although being humble is good, don’t put your art down.

If you were any kind of art tool or media, what would you be, and why?

I would be pencil sketching I think. It’s my comfort medium. I also feel like it fits my chaos and skrunkliness. I love sketching and graphite in general.

In a world where you had unlimited resources and time, what would your dream project be? 

I think if I were an immortal being with unlimited resources and time, I’d either make a set of unicorn sculptures out of wood and found objects, or try to depict every single animal. I’d love to make every creature and notice all of their little intricacies 🙂

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There you have it, folks!

Marissa is such an amazing artist! I am continually impressed by her expansive breadth of creations and media. I love getting to see all of their animals and sculptures and am amazed by her use of clay. One of the things I most like about Marissa’s work is her attention to detail and expressiveness. That deer that she designed is chock full of emotion, and their work in General Illustration has continued that trend. Every creation Marissa makes is filled with detail, meticulously crafted, and made to highlight the full human spectrum of emotion. It is always a joy to see and view Marissa’s craft and talent!

If you are interested in seeing any of her pieces in person, totally check out the 10 Years of Excellence show going on in the Kresge Gallery! This show continues until January 14, 2026, and Marissa’s work is featured there!

Have a wonderful start to the holiday season!

-Rebecca Prowse