Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marguerita Cruz-Urbanc. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Marguerita, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a straightforward career with a stable job and salary. Some of my friends and family have day jobs during the week that pay them a good salary, and they can rely on that one source of income for the foreseeable future. As an artist, I need to look for multiple sources of income and business opportunities to grow and be successful enough to make a living. It is hard. But it’s also what I would rather be doing. I love making art for myself and others, creating strange creatures, and building imaginary worlds! It’s so much fun to translate my imagination onto the page and have something physical to hold that I can earn a living from, whether it’s prints, comics, stickers, sculptures, or jewelry.

This past spring, I was walking through the numerous stalls at MoCCA Fest in New York City (a popular art fair that comes together every year) and marveling at all the different kinds of artwork being sold and everyone who showed up to support the various artists and buy work they liked. I remember finding a select few artists whose work inspired and enchanted me, and the amount of joy I got from talking with them, learning about their interests, and then getting to support them by purchasing a piece of their work and taking it home with me. To have a table at one of these art fairs and sell your work to people who are interested in what you do and want to have a piece of your creation feels so magical to me. And to me, the balancing act it takes to make this kind of career possible is worth it.

Being an artist is definitely challenging, and doesn’t necessarily have all the security and assurances of a regular day job. But for me, I am much happier being in this field, balancing all the freelance opportunities that come my way, changing up the kinds of work I am interested in, altering my style when I feel like it, and working with an incredible community of creatives that support each other.

Marguerita, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

When I was younger, I didn’t think I would end up pursuing art as a real career. It was always something I was interested in as I painted and drew regularly and had the most fun in my art classes. But really, I thought I was going to end up in a STEM field like my parents, and I tailored a lot of my class electives toward that goal. Throughout my schooling experiences and career decisions, however, I kept coming back to illustration as what excited me the most when I thought of my future. So in 2021, I applied to the MFA illustration program at Syracuse University, and was accepted and enrolled in 2022! I’ve always admired the illustration program at SU, so to be finally going, was kind of a dream come true. With some time in the program, I’ve met many incredible artists within the faculty and students, and have been able to experiment with my creative practice like I haven’t before.

I often describe myself as a multimedia artist. While my craft and my style have changed a lot over time, what’s been most consistent is my interest in working with many different mediums and materials. I regularly work traditionally using inks, pens, markers, colored pencils, watercolor, gouache, acrylic paint, and cut paper. I love the lack of control I have when using a lot of physical materials together. The materials will define the piece I’m working on and that part is always really exciting for me. When I’m freely experimenting in my sketchbook, I never really have a straightforward plan as to what I’m going to draw, I just put some materials down and allow them to guide what the image is going to look like. From there, I will add embellishments, and details, and make the piece my own. For Inktober 2023, I drew random scribbles each day in my tiny sketchbook, and from the scribbles, I found the shapes and details of numerous creatures and characters. It was so much fun and freeing, and this technique is something I employ regularly in my creative practice now.
Aside from my 2D work, I’ve explored the field of sculptures, particularly metal sculptures cast from lost wax creations. I adore sculpting with wax, but to then see those sculpts cast in a solid metal, is truly amazing. I’ve done some constructed metal sculptures using techniques like drilling and soldering, but metal casting has been the most productive in expanding my creative practice as I see this as a medium that I can use to further bring my characters and creatures to life.
My iPad is also an invaluable tool I use regularly for digital creations. Often, I will translate a sketched piece into a more developed illustration. I love jumping back and forth between traditional and digital, there’s so much you can do with a combination of both that I’m constantly discovering new ways to create art. Currently, I’m working on a coloring book filled with digitally outlined versions of drawings from my sketchbook. Digitally, I’ve been able to manipulate these sketches and design the layouts to fit the look of a coloring book. The original drawings come from a watercolor technique of putting down color splotches and then drawing a found creature overtop with ink. However, the design and layout of the page couldn’t have been done without the help of the digital tools in Procreate. My creative practice is really interconnected with traditional and digital techniques, so multimedia artist defines me best.

For client work, I provide a unique style and way of problem-solving. Because my practice is so interconnected in multimedia techniques, much of my work tends to incorporate a blend of materials to get the best result. I add color, warmth, and whimsy to designs that I am commissioned to create, and a level of depth and texture that can only be achieved with a multimedia practice. Currently, I’m looking to get into creating artwork for graphic novels, children’s books, and any type of picture book. Additionally, I’ve always dreamed of working in the animated movie industry, whether that’s for background paintings, character designs, concept art, or for stop motion puppet creation. Honestly, being able to bring a story, character, or idea to life is really what I’d like to be doing, and is the most motivating aspect of being an artist to me.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Professionally, I’d like to be able to teach art, especially to those who may not have as much of an opportunity within their school districts to express themselves creatively. Art is important within the world of education, and it’s often overlooked in favor of other subjects. Giving kids the tools to create art and express themselves through it is as important as learning math and history. While I was growing up, I always loved art classes and craft projects. Learning new ways to create would always excite me and spark my creativity. Providing those same opportunities for kids now would be greatly rewarding.
Personally, my mission has always been to shed light on topics that are important to me. When I was younger, I created a lot of work around climate change and my love for trees. Throughout my time at school, I’ve focussed on a multitude of topics in my artwork from my Puerto Rican heritage to my struggles with a disease called endometriosis. In fact, my bachelor’s capstone project in graphic design was centered around a medical awareness campaign for endometriosis where I created posters, graphics, social media posts, and a website design in service of spreading the word about this extremely common and under-researched disease. My MFA thesis project is dedicated to the culture of Puerto Rico, specifically, the parts that come from our Taino and African ancestors.
I’ve always wanted to make art for an intended purpose. Highlighting cultures and voices that are underrepresented, spreading awareness about various topics, and providing artistic knowledge and tools for self-expression are some of the reasons I make art and the reasons that motivate and inspire me to keep going along my creative journey.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Online tutorials and videos have been so encouraging and helpful in my creative journey! Whether those are videos on YouTube of fellow artists talking about their business practices and current projects, or online courses where professionals share their expertise about digital illustrating and using programs like Procreate, there is an abundance of resources available online to help with any questions about the industry. Earlier on in my career, some of these resources simply didn’t exist, but I do wish I had taken advantage of online videos and articles from illustrators practicing in the field to give me a better idea of the kinds of creative opportunities and specialties available for me to explore. I think it would have helped me understand what kinds of art I wanted to practice along with the kinds of jobs I would have liked to work towards and how to get there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mmargueritacu.com/
• Instagram: @mmargueritacu
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marguerita-cruz-urbanc-174537185
• Other: Cara: @mmargueritacu

Image Credits

All images were taken by me, the artist, Marguerita Cruz-Urbanc.