drawn by illustration + design operates out of Nelson, BC, Canada and is a multi media artistically driven graphic design company. Drawn by excels in anything drawn. It’s a creative company, boasting it’s own spiffy line of paper products invented by its founder Marnie Christoffersen.

Marnie started drawing when she was very young, but at that age she thought she wanted to be an airline hostess when she grew up so she could fly all over the world; or an archaeologist because she liked digging stuff up. She’s spent a lot of time jetting around, and even worked on an archaeological dig for a couple of summers, but to this day (and many career changes later), she’s still drawn to using her sketching talent and is trying to make something happen with that. So, the beginning of a new line of work is drawing near …

The bear drawings in Marnie’s collection are named after people she’s known in her life, mostly friends, some family members and also people she’s met on her travels. Even the man who inspired her about archaeology, a next door neighbour in Ireland when she was a kid. Once, she found a stone artifact in the farmer’s field adjacent to her home and showed it to Des, he never gave it back much to her disappointment, and said he needed to hang onto it for scientific reasons. Marnie has since forgiven Des for keeping her artifact – and now in fact, has a secret artifact collection of her own, hidden away somewhere safe.

Marnie has come to realize that her talents as an artist shine through the most when she takes time to daydream and use her imagination or, (more times than nought) when she has a crush on a boy. Whether daydreaming or not, Marnie sees many of the figures, shapes and creatures that she draws within inanimate objects – like wood siding, clouds, her grandma’s linoleum or crumpled up plastic bags.  So, taking into account all the inspirational folks, mentors, (boys) and wood panelling in her life she is greatly thankful for their (possibly unknown) contribution to her creative world. She encourages one and all to find the good in everyone and to study archaeology sometime – it’s pretty interesting stuff.

CV

Shows :
- Bijou Hair Salon, Nelson, BC, Canada March 2011 (year of the rabbit show)
- Oso Negro, Nelson, BC, Canada. January 2011
- Bijou Hair Salon, Nelson, BC, Canada. September/October 2010.
- Grid Art Gallery – Sloppy Joe Affordable Art Show, Nelson, BC, Canada. August 20, 2010.
- ARTWALK, Grounded Coffee House, Nelson, BC, Canada. July/August 2010
- Fraser Cultural Centre Art Show – Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia July/August 2010
- Portobello West Market, Vancouver, BC, Canada. October 2009
- The Factory Studios and Gallery – Nelson, BC, Canada. June/July/August 2009
- Shambhala Music Festival – Labyrinth / The Factory Venue. Salmo, BC, Canada. August 2009.
- Bear Sides, Vadim Kristopher Hair Salon, Nelson, BC, Canada. August/September 2009
- In House Design, The Factory Gallery, Nelson BC, Canada. September 2008
- Art Walk, Craft Connection, Nelson BC Canada. July 2008
- Night and Day Fashion Show, Nelson, BC Canada. June 2008
- Kootenay Artisans Market, Nelson, BC, Canada. December 2007
- 2×4 Studios, Horsham, West Sussex, England. March 2004

Course Work :
- Writing for Children – Oxygen Art Centre – Nelson, BC – June 2010.
- Art House at Brighton University (Brighton, UK) – Photoshop / Web Design  – 2006 – 2007.
- Brighton Independent Printmakers (Brighton, UK) – Screen Printing – Spring 2007.
- Etching, Monoprint, Collograph printmaking courses – 2×4 Studios, Horsham, U.K. 2005
- Dressmaking, Colliers College – Continuing Education, Horsham, U.K. 2003
- Camosun College (Victoria BC) – Auto Cad 2002.
- Pacific Design Academy (Victoria, BC) – Interior Design Diploma 1997.
- Kwantlen University College (Richmond, BC) – Foundation studies in Fine Art, Design and Drafting 1994 – 1996.