We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mary Loos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Mary, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I call myself a happy painter. There are so many reasons why but for me the main reason I feel so fortunate as a creative individual is the freedom I feel in my pursuit as an artist. Freedom of solitude. I can follow my energy flows and create when the time is right for me in an environment detailed to support the creative process. I surround myself with things that make me feel at home, grounded and inspired. Music, plants, relics from the past huge windows letting in natural light and a view to the river make my studio a pleasure to be in. As an introvert carving out long chunks of uninterrupted time where I get lost in the artwork is a key ingredient my in my artistic recipe. A regular job has its perks, regular pay being a big one, but I have traded that security for something that fills my cup and my dreams.

Mary, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am is a contemporary Canadian artist living near Merrickville, Ontario, with a studio along the Rideau River. I creates original acrylic paintings inspired by the rural countryside and waterways of Ontario, focusing on nature’s expressions such as river reflections, trees, and floral scenes. My art is known for capturing the light effects on water and the beauty of the natural world. Growing up on the St. Lawrence River and living part of each year on a little island I spent days swimming and drawing, honing my skills by creating imaginary worlds for hours at time. The desire to create and put my inner thoughts out in the open is a natural expression for me. As an avid kayaker the reflected world in the surface continues to attract my eye and is a huge source of inspiration for my artwork. I continues to paint daily, creating unique stories on each canvas that resonate with viewers seeking a deep connection to nature.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

With a partner in the military, I became very familiar with starting over in a new location. We moved frequently across country and overseas. It was a challenge to build up a name and familiarity with myself and my work especially prior to internet, webpages and social media over and over again. Somewhere deep inside I always found the gumption to get out into the public spaces, to do art shows in unfamiliar places and make connections that last to this day. In hindsight the moves helped me get known to communities I would have never reached otherwise. Another benefit is the ease I find meeting new people and being comfortable in new surroundings rather quickly.

How did you build your audience on social media?

The social media thing…it’s not something I think about too much because I’m easily distracted. I try to keep things as simple as I can. My followers can find me creating process videos that are simply me setting up the camera so it catches the canvas and a sped up process of my painting session. I add music and send it out into the world. No time or energy is spent cleaning up or processing the reels, they are what they are. This unpolished visual is fun to do, it gives me a record of what I’ve done on any particular day. I don’t really consider that people actually watch me paint until they tell me how much they enjoy the videos. Some people find it relaxing to watch, others are inspired and some compliment me on my music choices. I’m growing a following slowly and organically and that’s just a lovely thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://maryloos.ca
• Instagram: maryloosoriginals
• Facebook: Mary Loos Originals
• Linkedin: Mary Loos

Image Credits

Mary Loos