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In her kindergarten graduation, May Ann received her first award, Best in Creative Arts. She changed her nickname "Mall" when she was in Grade 4. Because she chose the initial letters of her full name. She is a visual artist and freelance illustrator living in La Union, Philippines. She is also a painter and has had several painting exhibits. Her art is inspired by her own dreams, nightmares, childhood memories, as well as God, nature, music and other great artists. She enjoys dreaming, listening to music, and setting her imagination free into wide colorful skies. Once inspiration hits her, May Ann’s paintings and drawings radiate and overflow with her emotions. She particularly loves making illustrations of her very own whimsical characters Babu and Abu the Cat.
May Ann won the Grand Prize for the 2005 PBBY - Alcala Prize, an annual illustrators’ contest sponsored by the Philippine Board on Books for Young People, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Library. She also received the Encouragement Prize in the 14th NOMA Concours for Picture Book Illustrations, a competition biennially organized by the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO.
She illustrated her first children's book “The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots” written by 2005 Grand Prize PBBY-Salanga winner Nikki Dy-Liacco and published by Adarna House, the country’s first and largest publisher of Filipino children’s books. May Ann has also been commissioned for a music album, paintings, murals, advertisements and others.
Her art is featured by Drawn!, startdrawing.org, Juxtapoz, Artist a Day, NOTCOT.org and others in worldwide. Her commissioned project Live Your Dream, which commissioned by BBDO Guerrero, for the Philippines Department of Tourism is already appeared on Forbes Magazine, Fortune Magazine, CNBC, CNN and other few international channels.
Most people do not know that May Ann was born with a hearing deficiency in 1981. But now, she can hear, talk, sing and communicate like an ordinary person. Everyone is very proud of her transformation. She managed to overcome her deficiency through hard work, a lot of practice, and prayers.
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