following the creative thread…

That has led me here.

Hello! I’m Mari Robeson, an author, artist and designer. My journey began with a BS in Art & Design from California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo. For the majority of my career, I immersed myself in the field of Interior Design, building beautiful homes and restaurants. I also contributed my talents to the world of publishing by writing and illustrating articles for various shelter magazines as well as my first book, Charming & Pretty - The Art of Home.

My true passion lies in the fusion of art and interior design, where I found my niche in creating surfaces like wallpaper and fabrics for the home decor industry, collaborating with renowned companies such as Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma. Even now, I have a deep affection for product creation. However, my true joy in working with clients has consistently been the act of sketching rooms to visually convey our creative visions. Today, room renderings are a recurring element in all of my artwork.

In 2020, I created a collection of paintings for an exhibit in San Francisco. They were different rooms that lived inside a fantastical Gothic mansion. As with all my paintings, the story behind the rooms began to unfold. This narrative materialized in my mind as a stop-motion film, a medium I've always cherished for its beautifully imperfect human essence. Consequently, I embarked on writing the story as a screenplay while simultaneously bringing the story's world and characters to life through my paintings.

The journey inspired by this enchanting tale has been nothing short of magical, enriched by invaluable mentorship from esteemed directors and producers in the realm of stop-motion animation. Their guidance, along with that of many others, has encouraged me to transform the screenplay into a fully fleshed-out novel, a project I am presently editing and illustrating.

As I near the final chapters of this ambitious art project, I’ll be documenting the last leg of the journey through my YouTube Vlog. If this interests you, I extend a heartfelt invitation to accompany me as I explore where this creative thread leads. I'll be offering glimpses into my writing process and behind-the-scenes peeks into the creation of both the artwork and sets. Your presence, suggestions, and support there would be greatly appreciated!

Goodness, if you read this far…THANK YOU!

xo Mari