Reverence

Marisa Aragón Ware is a multidisciplinary fine artist, illustrator, and author. She received her MFA from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and currently teaches in the Drawing and Painting Department at the University of Colorado. 

Born and raised in Colorado, she garnered her deep appreciation of nature from a childhood spent roaming the forests of the Rocky Mountains. Those formative experiences heavily influence her work, and she strives to depict the beauty of the natural world to help others connect with its abundant primordial magic. She is particularly fascinated by the complex biodiversity that supports our ecosystems and the important role that every species plays in maintaining that delicate balance. Her work explores the theory of biophilia, which asserts that human dependence on nature extends beyond the material and physical sustenance. This dependence includes a human craving for aesthetic, cognitive, and even spiritual meaning. Our abilities to think, feel, communicate, and find meaning in life are all wrapped up in this intrinsic connection to nature, which was forged during our evolutionary development. By tapping into the biophilic part of our brain that evolved over millions of years, she hopes to inspire viewers to appreciate the natural world and take action to protect it.