MY STORY

Hello! My name is Mara Yangson Allison and welcome to my site. I'm a visual artist, maker of all kinds of art - ceramics, painting, jewelry, and assemblage, among other things.

My journey in art began as a young child growing up in the Philippines. I was mentored and inspired by my mother who had a love for drawing and painting. She nurtured my interest in visual arts and encouraged me to attend workshops during my summer vacations.

One year, my mother and I attended a ceramic workshop that changed my life. The workshop was headed by two renowned master ceramic artists, Adee Mendoza and Jon Pettyjohn. It was the beginning of my love affair with clay.

I became obsessed. At that time, I was an executive officer with demanding job responsibilities. I longed for the weekends. On Saturdays, I would wake up at 6:00 am and start working with clay. I would finish late in the evening and I would repeat the routine on Sundays. It was exhausting yet exhilarating. As a hobby potter at that time, all my friends and relatives received ceramic gifts for Christmas and their birthdays. Later on, I started supplying handmade coffee mugs for my friend’s coffee shops.

Then another chapter of my life unfolded. I moved to the United States in 2006. As a single mother back then, my days were spent working and taking care of my children. My passion for art took a backseat and did not resurface until I became an art teacher in 2013.  

While teaching children to explore their artistic abilities had its own reward, I could no longer ignore the yearning to create and express my ideas through my own artwork. I started to draw and paint again. I attended ceramic workshops to brush up on my skills.

I married my best friend in the spring of 2016. People often say that a great marriage is hard work. I totally agree yet there are many days that this so-called "hard work" doesn't feel like work at all. Challenging days became opportunities to choose love instead of pride. While many of our friends teasingly disagree with me, my husband's greatest quality is his patience. He always chooses to love me in his very patient way even in my most unlovable moments.

In the summer of 2018, my husband gave me a most remarkable gift - the freedom to work from home using my creativity. While we both knew that there was no certainty that I would be able to replace my teaching income with selling my art, my husband embraced the unknown and encouraged me through my doubts. Each day, I wake up and thank my heavenly Father for blessing me with this incredible man by my side.

When I look back at my turbulent 20s and 30s, I contemplate how I arrived at this place of peace. I can’t believe that I lived through so many years filled with fear, discouragement and darkness. I felt damaged and unworthy. My spirit had been shattered but God continued to send people to love me and my children. My life may have teetered in a state of brokenness, but now it is a story of redemption.

As a maker, I am truly grateful to the ultimate master of creation. It is only because of Him that I have been given the amazing privilege to work with my hands using a variety of tools and materials. Thus, you will see diverse kinds of art on my website. 

​It is my desire that my art would bring joy and encouragement to your life - and that you may know that you are deeply loved by a caring God who knows and understands your struggles and wants a relationship with you.

As I continue my path as a full-time artist, I hope you join me in this adventure.