Mariajose Gajate Molina

Overview

From giraffes to fish, and from expressive characters to detailed floral renderings, Mariajose Molina – or Mariajo for short – is a versatile artist who is consumed by her passion for drawing. Growing up, there was never any question in her mind that she’d pursue a career creating images, and today she is an established illustrator.

Mariajo grew up in Spain, and after her illustration career took off moved to the UK to broaden her horizons. She continues to experiment with fresh styles and a variety of media, constantly learning and developing in the field she loves.

“My top three in life are drawing, traveling and cooking,” she says. I don’t feel comfortable if I don’t have a sketchbook and pencil in my bag. Last year I took 38 flights and I still think it wasn’t enough, and usually if I am not drawing I am cooking,” she explains.

Training

After graduating from Madrid’s Art School 10 with a degree in illustration, Mariajo became a full-time freelance illustrator working from a studio in the city. She later decided to take a course in Graphic Communication at Bath Spa University, and graduated in 2015.

Approach

Mariajo is very flexible when it comes to media and techniques and works with acrylic, gouache and pencils. However, her favourite media are watercolour and pencils, which she uses for most of her work. Her compositions and her process are intuitive, and she uses her years of experience rather than a particular set of rules.

Style

Free, innocent and naïve, according to Mariajo her style reflects her personality – nothing to hide. Her work is fresh and spontaneous, her colours are harmonious, and she can produce artwork in a range of styles from fun and cartoony through to carefully rendered realism.

Client List

• Within Me Now
• Solera Restaurant
• Wayne Lindsay
• Libracos
• Utopic_us