Marilyn Faucher
Interview & Photography / Catherine Bernier
There’s a gentleness to Marilyn Faucher’s work that instantly draws you in — a quiet dialogue between tradition and modernity. Based in Québec, the award-winning illustrator and designer creates sensitive yet vibrant images that feel both timeless and alive.
Her work often weaves together threads of nature, heritage, and folklore, honouring the handmade gestures behind traditional craft while offering a contemporary voice all her own.
But when Marilyn arrived at The Parcelles last fall, she was seeking something beyond technique or style.
“Since I finished school back in 2013, I never really had a chance to take a step back,” she shares. “I was so eager to find contracts and make my way through the illustration world that I didn’t have the opportunity to explore new techniques or question what I was doing — and why.”
The past few years brought major shifts: the pandemic, the arrival of motherhood, and the constant rhythm of creative work. Amid those transformations, Marilyn felt her artistic spark fading beneath deadlines and expectations. “I had lost the joy of illustration,” she says. “Art is so deeply personal, and when you’re feeling lost, creating feels meaningless.”
The small cabin by the sea became her sanctuary — a place to clear her mind, reconnect with herself, and rediscover the simple pleasure of creating without pressure. “The residency offered me the luxury of time, but more than that, it gave me the chance to live so close to nature and the sea. It was an endless source of inspiration — the colours, the light, the plants, the birds.”
Days in Seaforth followed the pace of the tides. Mornings began with light pouring through the windows, the horizon shifting shades of grey and blue. Between brushstrokes, she watched the waves change and listened to the songs of distant gulls. Sometimes she painted, sometimes she simply observed — letting the slowness itself become part of her practice.
Evenings brought new connections. One night, Marilyn attended the Seaforth International Film Festival, a small local gathering that left a deep impression. “It was incredibly moving,” she recalls. “Seeing the community come together, so open-minded, so passionate about creating art no matter what others might think, reminded me of why I started creating in the first place.”
The residency offered me the luxury of time, but more than that, it gave me the chance to live so close to nature and the sea. It was an endless source of inspiration.
- Marilyn Faucher
Her time by the sea reawakened something she’d been missing — not only joy, but meaning. The experience reminded her that creativity isn’t just about producing; it’s about noticing. The way light shifts through the trees, the softness of fog on water, the conversations shared over tea with strangers who quickly become friends.
“If you feel you might need a step back and some time alone, so close to nature, that’s the perfect place,” she says. “The view is magnificent, and you’ll be able to practice your art while hearing nothing but birds and waves. It’s a total luxury to be able to notice the light changing and have a full week just to work on your art.
Marilyn swam in the cold Atlantic every day, paint still on her hands, and came back to her sketchbook with salt on her skin and colour in her heart. “The fresh air reminded me of who I was, and I’ll be eternally thankful to The Parcelles for this opportunity.”
Follow Marilyn Faucher / @marilynfaucher
Portraits by Catherine Bernier / @cath.be
