Visual Development Artist, Character Animator, Comic Artist and Picture Book Illustrator, Mari began drawing at a very young age aspiring to be a professional artist. Her professional start was in 2015 drawing children’s books as a freelance artist. Also in 2015, she was accepted into Animation Mentor, having mentors from the film industry such as Anthony Wong (Monsters University, Brave, Ratatouille, Tarzan, Mulan, Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Steve Cady (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jurassic World), Jon Collins (Toy Story 3, Up, Brave, Wall-E, Van Helsing, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith) and Ray Chase (The Book of Life, Open Season 3, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius).
She has designed characters for BCWYWF, Think Happy Club, The Biz School of Arts, Rock & Rawhide and illustrated many books for independent authors along the years, having self-published books herself. In addition to working freelance, Mari was also the lead animator at Moonlighters Studios, located in Fortaleza, Brazil and a Visual Development Artist and Character Design teacher at The Biz School of Arts.