Marianne Valdez is an exhibiting artist, award winning live painter and illustrator based in British Columbia, Canada. Inspired by the natural world and things unseen, her curiosity about nature, her Filipino heritage and the human psyche inform her artistry. With a background in marketing, counseling psychology and fine arts instruction, Marianne also works across a variety of traditional mediums including oils, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, pencils, and pastels in addition to digital media.

Marianne delights in the process of bringing stories to life through captivating imagery. She enjoys illustrating lively depictions of friendship, adventure, culture and the joy of simplicity through the inner child's lens. While she is open to collaborating on all story genres and book types, she has a special place in her heart for magical realism, fantasy, poetry and scientific/environmental books.

When Marianne isn't creating art, she nurtures her vegetable and heirloom flower garden, basks in the great outdoors and visits the local ducks and frogs for an insightful chat.