Artist Spotlight: Marisa Evangelista
One of the things that makes the Annapolis art scene so vibrant is the variety of artists who call it home.
Marisa Evangelista is one of those artists.
A painter and illustrator, Marisa's work often exists somewhere between the surreal and the representational. Her images can feel familiar at first glance, but the longer you spend with them, the more they invite questions, stories, and interpretation.
As part of our Annapolis Arts Week Artist Spotlight series, we sat down with Marisa to learn more about her process, inspiration, and the ideas behind her work.
Tell us about your process.
"It depends. Sometimes I'm experimenting—playing with light or composition and just seeing what happens. Other times, I have a clear idea and I'll sketch it out digitally first, then photograph it.
I use myself as a model a lot. Partly because it's convenient, but also because it became part of my process over time."
Like many artists, Marisa's process shifts depending on the work. Some pieces begin with exploration and experimentation, while others start with a specific concept she wants to bring to life. Photography, digital sketching, and painting often work together as she develops an image.
What inspires your work?
"I'm really drawn to surreal ideas and figuring out how to make them feel real.
I recently showed a body of work called Elegies from the Boys. It follows a figure telling stories from a kind of imagined voyage. Some of those stories hint at darker or more uncomfortable moments, but nothing is ever fully explained. It's not real—but it's interesting to explore what it could look like."
That balance between reality and imagination appears throughout Marisa's work. Rather than offering clear answers, her images leave room for interpretation, inviting viewers to bring their own experiences and questions into the conversation.
What's your favorite medium?
"This is a strange answer... encaustic. I don't even use it, but I love it—the layers, the translucency, the way it holds depth.
For my own work, I usually move between oil paint, acrylic, and digital."
Even in the mediums she admires, Marisa is drawn to qualities that mirror her own work: layers, depth, and the ability to create images that reveal themselves over time.
More Artists. More Stories.
One of the goals of Annapolis Arts Week is to help people connect not only with artwork, but with the artists behind it. Understanding an artist's process, influences, and perspective often changes the way we experience the work itself.
