Hi! I’m Ohn Mar,

and I’m an illustrator, designer, teacher and author based in Hertfordshire, England. As a child I was described as being ‘far too curious’, often disappearing to make up imaginary adventures and climb trees (and many times fall out!). Over time I diverted this need to explore into my artwork, where it was much easier to avoid injury.

These days I’m best known for my fruit and vegetables illustrations, which have appeared on countless branding and packaging projects for clients all over the world. One of the highlights of my career was working on a UNICEF project to combat childhood malnutrition in Myanmar, the country where I was born. I moved to the UK when I was five, and not knowing the language very well at first, I used drawings to communicate with my teachers, helping me to become incredibly visually creative.

Though my illustration career spans over 20 years, many people don’t realize that I didn’t have a website, a recognisable style, portfolio, social media presence or sketchbooks until about 2015. All I had was a mission statement that I wrote for myself: I use my creativity and intuition to support and inspire myself, and then help others do the same. I believe if folks give themselves time and permission to play and explore just a fraction of their creativity, they’ll be happier people.

I am a great advocate of sketchbooks, with 25+ Moleskines serving as a record of my creative journey as a self-taught watercolourist over the last 5 years. Filling them remains a constant in my life, with each page providing me with much enjoyment and insights. Furthermore, by sharing my progress and the challenges of being an artist, they inspire many other folks to pick up a paintbrush.

Oftentimes these sketch explorations provide the basis for classes and workshops. I love to teach—I have 20+ watercolour and illustration classes with over 80,000 students on Skillshare. My students often remark how calm and engaging I am, with my reassuring, considered approach.

My mission statement is as true today as when I first wrote it, and I always keep myself open to new opportunities to learn, inspire and create.

I am constantly updating my ever-growing portfolio. Please feel free to contact me for commissioned work.