BOARDING PASS – Marisa Seguin
I’m almost positive that I first came across the work of Canadian illustrator Marisa Seguin after spotting one of her illustrated maps – likely the Paris one. I love her fun style, that give a sense of the place without having to show the city as a geographically perfect rendition. In fact, Marisa is in Europe at the moment (hence her Etsy shop is briefly closed), and you can follow along with her travels on Instagram. Enjoy a look into all her travels below! Thanks, Marisa! –Anne
That one time I captained a ship….home town:
Vancouver, BC
where you live now:
Milwaukee, WI
Left: Our beautiful art museum, Right: My favorite building in Milwaukee
last trip taken:
Quick trip to Portland over New Years with my sister. It was 50% to stay at this amazing hotel and also because neither of us had visited this city before. It was a great trip full of tons of delicious food and cute neighborhoods. I’d love to visit again in the summertime.
Portlandnext trip on deck:
Europe in June! Aside from Italy in high school and a bit of London, I haven’t explored much of Europe before. (If you have any advice or suggestions please feel free to leave me a comment!)
one place you would go back to again and again:
Mayne Island, BC. A family friend has a cabin there and we would visit during the summer when I was a kid. I’d spend all day long on the rocky beach. It’s the kind of place where time stops for awhile. (Plus, I love any excuse to take the ferry somewhere.)
place you’d most likely recommend a friend go visit:
I may be a tad biased, but Vancouver! The perfect mix of city and nature. Plenty of beautiful sights to see, delicious food to eat, and cultural experiences to be had.
I grew up about 40 minutes from downtown. This view is a 20 minute walk from my house and I miss it every day!preferred method of transportation:
Catbus…….but since that’s not really possible I love exploring on foot. It’s so easy to wander and get lost just walking around. You have the freedom to look up, down, and all around and also have the opportunity to interact with interesting people!
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Château Frontenac, Québec Cityplace you’ve never been but dying to go:
Paris. I am a total francophile and cannot wait to visit in June!
place you’d never go back:
Wall Drug Store, South Dakota. Not my kind of kitsch coupled with the worst piece of pie I’ve ever eaten made for a pretty loathsome experience. (And my pie standards are pretty low. I love pie.)
most memorable trip in 2 sentences or less:
Italy in high school. Surrounded by everything I had read about in books.
I really had a great sense of style in high school…
Italy in high school. Surrounded by everything I had read about in books.
I really had a great sense of style in high school…how do you prepare for a trip?
Asking friends for recommendations and scoping out blogs. I usually make a list of a few must-visits (my “non-negotiables”) for the trip and then loosely plan around those. (The non-negotiables for the upcoming Europe trip are Barcelona, Bruges, and this David Bowie exhibit). I don’t like things to be too fastidiously planned because it usually just leads to stress and disappointment if not everything is accomplished. Go with the flow! It’s usually the things you stumble upon that are the most memorable.
St. Louis: Part of City Museum, one of the coolest places I have ever visited.how do you record your travels when you’re traveling?
Way too many photos of food and some sketches
A few sketches over breakfast in Memphis
what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
I love photographing the view from the tallest places. I love going to the “top”—finding the tallest landmark to get a great view of the city. I especially love it if this involves climbing a lot of ancient stairs.
View from the top of the bell tower, Venice
Times Square from the top of the Empire State Buildingon an average, how many pictures do you take on a trip?
Depending on the duration of the trip, it can be anywhere from 50 to 200+
Somewhere in Corning, NY
what’s in your “designer travel kit” ?
Sketchbook (my friend Abi introduced me to book journals, which I love), ballpoint pens, Canon point and shoot camera, iphone, headphones.
Sketchbook (my friend Abi introduced me to book journals, which I love), ballpoint pens, Canon point and shoot camera, iphone, headphones.
what do you do after a trip? how long after a trip does this happen?
I usually blog and create a few illustrations. This can happen anywhere from the weekend after to two months depending on how lazy I am.
I’m saving the Madeline one for my Europe trip!
favorite souvenir/thing to bring back?
I’m always looking for beautifully illustrated children’s books. I think my love for Paris is eclipsed only by my love for books and I always make sure to check out a few book stores whenever I travel (I had to mail myself three boxes of books from Portland).
what’s your favorite place to visit in a new city?
I love visiting the public markets. They’re always such a hub of activity and culture.
Pike Place, Seattle
best piece of travel advice?
Ask the locals where to eat! (And if they have any recommendations for what to order.)
Obligatory out the window shot
LINKS
- Portfolio
- Illustration Blog
- Good Good (everything else blog)
- Twitter: @marisamidori
- Etsy shop
- Dribbble
BOARDING PASS is a regular column exploring the creative ways people see the world and record their travels.
P.S. I’m teaching MAP MAKING again on Skillshare! Sign up anytime :)
Jacob storm Deatherage
July 5, 2013 at 3:53 pm //
Thanks so very, very much for the shout-out for our journals, pal! Color me (super duper) flattered!
Come visit me at the shop/studio next time you find yourself in Portland!
Jacob