Beyond the Page: MaryAnn Loo
MaryAnn Loo is a visual artist and three-time Sketchbook Project Participant based in Singapore. We interviewed MaryAnn to learn more about her artistic process and international mural project “100 Dream Trees.” You can flip through MaryAnn’s three whimsical sketchbooks on the Digital Library.
Tell us about yourself!
I’m MaryAnn, and I’m a visual artist, voice coach, and a person who believes that life is all about fulfilling our biggest dreams, and discovering who we truly are along the way.
When I was 8, I was discouraged from being an artist, and I completely stopped drawing and forgot about my dream. I was 27 when I reconnected to this dream during a university “Intro to Drawing” class, and I decided I must fulfill this childhood artist dream. In early 2013, when I was 29, I worked with a life coach, and organized my first solo exhibition within two months, including making 30 new paintings and handling all aspects of the event, with no formal art training or prior events experience. 17 paintings were sold, and I received a commission to illustrate three children’s books.
Having fulfilled my childhood artist dream, which I once believed was impossible for me, I stand for others also making their biggest dreams come true and living a worthy and meaningful purpose. In 2018 I began my training as a voice coach to help people discover and express more of their authentic selves through singing.
When were you first introduced to art? How has your work evolved over the years?
I suppose I was in kindergarten when I was first introduced to art, and we had art classes in grade school in Singapore as well. But because I had forgotten about my childhood dream since I was 8, I hadn’t really made much art outside of what’s required for school assignments, and for many years after that… until I did that Intro to Drawing class when I was 27.
While I became a professional artist from the success of my first solo exhibition, I was really just starting (again) on my artist journey. Over the past seven years, I’ve been trying to figure out who I am as an artist. I’ve taken on various commissions, such as children’s book illustration, and portraits (in my own whimsical style). I’ve also illustrated an EP cover for a singer-songwriter in Los Angeles, and was hired to help paint other artists’ murals. I’ve also trained as a life coach and a voice coach, and in leadership and management as part of my personal development. All of these experiences in my exploration as an artist and a human who wants to grow have shaped my work in many ways, notably leading to my international community mural series “Project: 100 Dream Trees”, something I couldn’t possibly have imagined I’d be able to create when I had just finished my first solo exhibition.
What mediums do you work in now? How do they relate to the themes in your work?
Over the past two years, I paint murals using acrylic or emulsion paint, and I illustrate with a combination of watercolour, ink and colour pencil. I don’t think they directly relate to any themes in my work. I choose them because they are easy to work with, and I like to get my works done in the shortest time possible, otherwise the moment of inspiration passes. Plus my current dream is to travel and paint “100 Dream Trees” around the world, so acrylics and what I use for illustration are also easy to travel with.
Painting “The Cēsis Dream Tree” Cēsis, Latvia, 2019
When did you participate in the Sketchbook Project? What was that process like for you?
I’ve participated three times in the Sketchbook Project — 2012, 2014 and 2015.
I’m not the most disciplined person, so at the time it wasn’t my forte to consistently work on something to completion. I usually end up rushing to complete projects at the last moment, and this happened with the Sketchbooks as well. In fact, I submitted the third one half-completed.
I enjoyed the process of exploring different ideas, which I may not really do in my usual work.
How would you describe your practice and approach to art making?
I draw inspiration (pun intended) from my experiences, and turn them into whimsical, colorful and lively scenes. I like to have some element of reality in my works, but I don’t want to present them in a realistic fashion. At the same time, I include symbols through the characters, objects, composition and/or scenery, so at first glance my work may remind you of a children’s book illustration, but there are usually deeper layers of meaning.
How does storytelling influence your work? What is your process like when creating a series?
I don’t think storytelling consciously influences my work. It’s more like I have an imagined scene in mind, and I bring it to life in the artwork. Most of my works tell a story in a single scene, and it’s up to the viewer to interpret what that story is to them, or identify with different characters.
I think the best way of creating a series is to not force it to happen. My first series emerged naturally and intuitively as I was creating 30 new paintings for my first solo exhibition. Then I read somewhere that artists should always create in series, and that made me overthink and try to force out new series ideas, many of which I abandoned shortly after starting, and those I saw through to an exhibition ended up not truly resonating with me, and I think it didn’t resonate with my audience either. So these days I just let the art speak for itself, and if it wants to become a series, it will on its own, and not because I force it to be.
At other times, I set a number to create the series, like “100 Dream Trees”. Or I would group works together based on similar themes, such as the illustrations I’ve made based on my travel experiences and memories (I call this my “Illustrated Travel Stories”).
”A Cafe Love Story” (2020)
Or based on a recurring character, such as PenguinGirl (who also sometimes has other friends appearing in the series, thus the series is called “PenguinGirl & Friends”).
”PenguinGirl’s Seaside Song Session” (2016)
Can you describe your 100 Dream Trees Project and how that fits into your larger practice? What inspired you to start this project?
“Project: 100 Dream Trees” is my international community mural project that gets people connected to their dreams again, and to believe that their dreams are possible. A Dream Tree symbolizes the ideal life, as it’s a bridge between the ground (ie. our practical reality), and the clouds (ie. our dreams and aspirations). My goal is to install 100 Dream Trees in 100 locations around the world, inspired by the local landmarks, stories, culture and traditions. I also get people to paint their dreams to be incorporated into the mural itself. Thus, the Dream Tree also represents collaboration and community, a space where everyone can gather to celebrate their gifts and express their true selves. Each mural symbolizes an ideal world, where all can fulfill their aspirations together, thus making this world a better place.
As an artist and a human who believes that life is all about fulfilling our biggest dreams, and discovering who we truly are along the way, I stand for everyone to also connect to their dreams again and to fulfill them. My art has always been an expression of this — of what I love, and what I truly believe in.
It started in 2018 when I was accepted to my first artist residency, where I painted a mural in a village in Spain. I usually don’t paint large, and the largest work I had painted at the time was 24 x 30 in., which was of a Dream Tree, so I submitted a proposal to paint a Dream Tree mural.
Dream Tree No. 1: “The Riba-roja Dream Tree” (2018)
To my surprise I was accepted into the program, and the entire two weeks of this residency was surreal. I couldn’t believe I was in a village in Spain, that I was attending my first artist residency, and that I had painted a mural of my own design (vs. a commission) outside of Singapore. I was present to how this moment had been possible because I had taken that great leap of faith and organized my first solo exhibition in 2013, and fulfilled my childhood artist dream.
Presenting the first Dream Tree, “Riba-roja d’Ebre” Spain, 2018.
I also realized that for those two weeks I was living my dream life — experience life in another place in the world, and painting something meaningful not just for me, but also for the residents and all who will see this Dream Tree mural. Now that I was certain of my possibility as a traveling artist, I was excited and I wanted to experience more of this.
A few months later, I came across the story of Robert Wyland, who painted 100 Whaling Walls, large outdoor murals of life-sized whales and other sea life. Inspired by his journey, I thought, “I could do 100 Dream Trees around the world!” And so for 2019, I was accepted into five artist residencies, and over five months I installed six more Dream Tree murals in four countries.
With the local community at Kintai, Lithuania, 2019
What are you working on currently? How have present circumstances impacted you creatively?
I had plans to install more Dream Trees this year, including at a street art festival in the UK, and at a residency in Finland. However, due to the pandemic, I’ve been staying put in Singapore until it’s safer and less of a hassle to go abroad again. Thus, “Project: 100 Dream Trees” has been put on hold. I was a little sad about it, but then I realized this was an opportunity to work on the other projects I’ve been putting off.
I’ve just completed my first illustrated paper cut animated story, and I may be starting on the sequel soon. I’ve also started a 100-day vlog series to share what I’ve learnt in my journey as an artist and human who lives to make my biggest dreams come true. And I’ve completed the first draft of a book sharing the lessons I learnt from organizing my first solo exhibition.
How can people support your work?
Website: https://maryannloo.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/penguingirl_art
Facebook: www.facebook.com/maryannloo.art