HI, I’M MAYRA YADIR

I’m a mixed media artist, illustrator, and surface designer blending traditional and digital media to produce wall art, surface designs, apparel, and more.

exude • visual expressions & spewed rhymesWhen I’m not covered in paint or editing pixels on the screen, I’m working on my first book: EXUDE.

CURRENTLY

  • working artist
    As a working artist based in Loudoun County, Virginia, I create art alongside a talented collective of 10 other local artisans from our working studio spaces located in Round Hill (see my studio here)
  • creative writer + independent publisher
    My first book, EXUDE, is underway and will be published under my own publishing brand, Sirenella Press. Additional writings and visual storytelling projects are also in the works.
  • art instructor
    I enjoy sharing my methods and practices with students from all walks of life and learning levels. At present, I teach mixed media art classes at local public library branches in my community and will be expanding into online instruction in 2025.
  • media psychologist
    Media is hyper-visual and increasingly pervasive. As a trained media psychologist, I explore media, imagery, and technology in the context of human creativity and wellbeing (links to more information coming soon).

PAST EXPERIENCE

  • brand designer + content writer
    Before my plunge into mixed media, I spent 30 years as a brand and content designer for luxury clients across industry sectors, including financial services, retail, hospitality, technology, nonprofit, and more. My steep marketing communications and advertising design works spanned campaigns across social media, advertising, user experience (UX), television, content, and product designs.
  • senior digital strategist
    Design work was one small aspect of a much broader digital strategy practice I founded in 2005 and operated through 2020. In that capacity, I also helped clients integrate and optimize marketing technologies across platforms and campaigns.

EDUCATION

  • bs, business administration (with a concentration in marketing)
    Strayer University (1994 • 2017)
  • mfa, advertising + editorial illustration (with a concentration in children’s books)
    Academy of Arts University (2017 • 2022)
  • ma, psychology with media and technology emphasis
    Fielding Graduate University (2017 • 2019)
  • phd, psychology with media and technology emphasis
    Fielding Graduate University (2020 • currently working on dissertation)

THINGS THAT FUEL MY HEART

  • reading (a wide genre of mostly nonfiction);
  • journaling (writing, doodling, scribbling)
  • sketching (just about anything);
  • gray skies and rainy days (these are *the best*);
  • digital photography (my camera roll is pretty much outta control 🙂 );
  • … and a slice of plain cheesecake paired with a steaming hot cup of cappuccino (for starters).