The Nearly Year Ender Post

Before the advent of the new year, I just wanted to show you some of my works and some of our adventures for the past 12 months. First, I wanted to show to you a poem in Tagalog language (our native tongue) which I read last February for a painting.

 Sino Ako? 
 By Eugene Evasco

Ibang-iba ang ang aking "ako."
Ako'y ako-
panganay na anak,
kauna-unahang apo,
kaibig-ibig na pamangkin,
makulit na pinsan,
at sabi ni Ma'am,
"ikaw ang aking paborito!"
Minsan, ako'y ako--ang lider sa takbuha't taguan,
ang may-alaga ng mga pusang-ligaw,

ang kaibigan ng mga tutubi't tipaklong,

at ang batay ng aming tagong paraiso

doon sa likod-bahay.

Lagi, nahihilo ako

sa pagkakaroon ng maraming "ako."

Nais ko lamang maging akong-ako:

nasa lilim ng isang puno,

kalaro ang sari-saring libro,

kaibigan ang samu't saring kuwento.

And this is a paining based on Eugene Evasco's poem Sino Ako? (Who am I?). Done in acrylic on watercolor paper. Although it took me relatively shorter than my usual painting  in terms of executing, creating its composition took me a long time.
But first let me translate for you (as accurate as possible) the poem since I have no right to literally translate them word per word. It is about a unique boy who thinks who he really is. He thinks himself a a teacher's pet, the first (and favorite) grandson, care taker of cats and dogs, and many more. but he is still confused who he really is. But he realized he just wanted to read some books and explore the stories (which he considers his friend) he read under a tree. And that makes him himself.

 

As you know, I just can't figure it out automatically the placing of the characters, the smoothness of the narrative, and the type of style to please the people since it's my application for one of the honored art organization in the Philippines.

With the help of the Bunny's advise to use a 0.1 chinese brush and a 0.0 sable brush, I managed to detail the smaller figures such as the cats and the facial expressions of the people, which also consumed most of my execution.

And there you go! Another new painting after a very very long time of corporate work. More post to come this coming year!

You can also visit this painting in my Behance portfolio site here!

***

My lovely girl, The Bunny, went to their boss' house to decorate it for the Halloween. He is a well-known attorney in our country and his father used to travel around the world collecting curious things his eyes caught on. and their house is filled with antique and odd things! From Pre-colonial artifacts and artworks to vintage cars and masks from different cultures.

What the bunny struct most is this antique chair from the province of Leyte in the Philippines. and not just an old chair but supposedly a royal chair where probably the Sultans of old used to sit on it.

What I like about them is the armchairs. It depicts and old man and a lady holding something. In our educated guess, the statues were copied by a Filipino native from a Spanish colonial statues and adopt them in their own folk stories, which were relatively common during that time they called now as Folk Christianity. 

The lady on the left armchair was holding some kind of decorated veil. We think it was a copy from St. Veronica and her veil which reveals the miraculous face of Christ.

St. Veronica with her Holy Kerchief , attributed to Robert Campin

There is another chair beside it! What it seems to be its twin chair, probably made for the Sultan's wife or his heir we are not sure. What we do know is the figures are different from the other chair. It depicts two men. one is probably a native and the other one is a foreigner, as seen in his western clothing. But the "foreigner", although he wears western clothing, is still bare naked, suggesting that he might be also a native in foreign clothing, or a mestizo. 

But another piece that really caught our attention. A mask! A folk healing or medicine mask from Sri Lanka.

We have no idea how to wear this mask, or how heavy it is due to its richly ornate wood carving. but probably it is made of light wood so that the wearer could easily carry it on his or her head. I saw a website that might help to bring more light about this piece since I am also intrigued by it.

But sadly, the younger generations didn't care about this precious things. they probably don't know the historical and cultural importance. The Bunny saw some of this priceless pieces as towel holders, that they used to hold the towels from their swimming pool.

***

We also had time to walk to our lovely school again, where the sun is bright and the December wind passes through the trees.

And lastly, a sneak peak of  a personal painting, done in acrylic on wood. I will show it to you next year tell you a story about it. Happy Christmas and a prosperous new year everyone!

A Tour from the Past

Top to bottom, left to right.

1. Across the Universe 2. The Tale of my new Header 3. My Mother’s Family Tree 4. Curious Expeditions 5. The Bunny goes to Spain 6. Memories of April 7. Memories of March 8. Memories of the Rainy May 9. Memories of Sunny February 10. Tales about Rabbits 11. Pia’s art and the Memory of the Storm 12. The Moss and the Tree 13. My Old Header 14. My New Sketchpad 15. Rima Staines 16. Pictures of Kitty 17. Gabriel Pacheco 18. The Church Model 19. My Cathedral Model 20. Our Portrait 21. Father of the House and My Father’s Tale 22.Warfare 23. Bernt Notke’s Danse Macabre 24. Rediscovery of Old Works

The New Year has arrived! And also, it has been a year since I started this blog. And since it is its first birthday, I'd like to remember those that had happened in the past 12 months. It is quite good to recall the days of old and reminiscence on good memories. Like what I did last time, when I visited the place where I once passed through, like the hospital where I was born, the church where I was baptized, and the schools I went to before college. It is quite good to revisit them after some long, long years.

I remember when I started this blog twelve months ago when my very first entry was about the book I read about The Battles of Thirty Years War by William Guthrie. I was, and still am, fascinated by warfare as part of my childhood memories when I used to play soldiers, putting them in mock battles, with horses and dinosaurs and knights brandishing swords and weapons. And I put a picture of a morning star (a kind of mace) in the mosaic.

I wrote also about my plates and projects in school, like my pop up work, a project for my one of my most unlikeable classes since I was in grade school, Mathematics. But somehow that project worked and I got a good grade.

Speaking of projects, I also made and later talked about the model of a Cathedral façade for my Art History class. Made mostly of recycled materials and cardboards, I did it well. And also, there were two plates for my one of my favorite classes, Advanced Illustration. The first one is about the songbook for "Across the Universe" by Fiona Apple, and the second one is a portrait of my mother’s family tree, going as far as my great grand parents to my generation with houses on the head of the married male. You can look at what I am talking about.

Speaking of families, this is also the main topic of my thesis next year, which speaking about the essence of family portraits.

For the past twelve months, I also discovered and encountered artists who moved me and became inspirations of my work. There is Rima Staines who made these beautiful grotesque artworks and the colors of rust, of amber, of umber, and of brown, that makes me delighted. There are also the beautiful pictures by Kitty, those landscapes and green field makes me at ease and also gave me ideas for my stories. And there is also the hazy and wonderful work of Gabriel Pacheco, who is a favorite artist of the bunny and me. In his work, these misted atmospheres and dream landscape always fascinates me. And of course, I should not forget the old masters like Jan Van Eyck and Arthur Rackham.

The sites and realm of blogs such as the Curious Expeditions, where I am amazed by its combination of history and mystery, Sur la Lune the wonderful blog of old children’s book illustrator masters, and the other blogs who shared their lives, and thoughts, works of their art and other people’s works.

There are also the memorable months for me; the sunny February and March, the April when the Bunny and I went on our own job training; and the rainy May when we finished it, and at the same time, I was starting to paint my recent header, and some random pictures.

And also, I should not forget my old, almost forgotten works like my old header and those that have hidden in my shelves for years. Good thing that I did not give them away, but they are still hiding from me I guess.

The Air of April

I just remembered the atmosphere of April. The air was quiet, the sky was gray, and this tree had no leaves, but, instead, had flowers. How interesting to look at past events and contemplate on their beautiful memories.