Last Painting of 2011

2011 is almost done and I've a lot to look forward to in 2012! Thank you for visiting and stay tuned for more:)

to look forward to
30x45cm

 Here are links to the posts that have my artwork made in 2011

Back Portraits (4)
Back Portraits (3)
Myths Lost, Found, and Searching in Transition
Homme et Femme  (Set 1)
Everything I Said
Back Portraits (2)
Owner + Oreo!
Line Art
Black and white...then I used some red. Then orange...Then...
My love hate relationship with watercolor
Assorted Artwork 2011 (Cars and Others)
For Both Ends Meet
Back Portraits
Niluwalhating Bayani ng mga Bata (Glorified Heroes of Children)
Artguments with the Coconut Climber and other things when walking
Inanimates
Assorted 2011 Transition from Color to Black and White
My Attempt on Cubism/Abstract
Assorted Artwork 2011 (Socio Realism)
Burning the Evidence + Neighborhood Skyline
Stopping Fires Since+Post Hush+Cart of Favorites (My artwork at Be Still Exhibit)


God bless and happy new year!

Back Portraits (4)

Enjoy:)

Back Portraits
Back Portraits (2)
Back Portraits (3)

20.32x25.4cm

20.32x25.4cm

20.32x25.4cm

Back Portraits (3)

See more of them here and here. Enjoy the view:)

40.32x25.4cm (diptych)

20.32x25.4cm

20.32x25.4cm

20.32x25.4cm

20.32x25.4cm

Doodles as Payment

As I was drawing on the paper table mat in a restaurant, I remembered the story of a an artist (was it Picasso?) who ate at a restaurant and as he got his bill, he couldn't find his wallet. The restaurant head knew who he was and asked for a drawing instead as payment. He drew a spider (not to be mistaken with the internet meme that a guy asked if he could pay a bill with a spider drawing which had several emails exchanged on the same topic) as his payment. Ow I wonder if I'll ever come to that point when I'll just make a small illustration on a napkin as payment. Well, until then, I'll just do what I need to do:) Above is the pretty riddled paper mat. I was with the young adults ministry and you'll see Andrea there with some other doodles hehe.

Myths Lost, Found, and Searching in Transition

This set is definitely not done. I still have 16(? I think. I'll have to look for that sketchbook with my other studies) to work on. If I have the patience and the feeling to go back and work on it I'll get on it... unless I'll redo the whole set. Enjoy

30x45cm

30x45cm

Homme et Femme (set 1)

Just to get myself warmed up on a pen and ink an
d the thought of revisiting some old studies to create a new set, I put my brush, ink, marker, and a technical pen for the run. I didn't really enjoy how heavy or violent the first two pieces came out then I started to remove more noise but ended up making it too... graphic? I'll probably make a new set :-s Well, um, we only put malice when we put malice.

22.5x55cm

22.5x55cm

Everything I Said

I thought I'd turn myself in and decided to just write down some thoughts on my watercolor pad. There's more in my head but this will do for now. I was just wondering about how the year was about to end and there were things that were left unsaid that should've been or shouldn't. Well, whatever. Typography+avant garde contemporary or plain whatever isn't for everyone.

11x15cm

11x15cm

11x15cm

11x15cm

11x15cm

11x15cm

11x15cm

11x15cm

11x15cm

11x15cm

11x15cm

11x15cm

Merry Christmas!

Ow Christmas is coming up! I hope everyone is having a grand time! Last year my sister spent her Christmas with the future in-laws and she mentioned that there was this huge Christmas tree that had this song playing on the background:

For unto us, a child is born
Unto us, a Son is given
Unto us, a Son is given
Unto us, a child is born
A child is born
A child is born
Unto us, a child is born
Unto us, a child is born

For unto us, a child is born
And the government shall be upon His shoulder
And his name shall be called Wonderful
And his name shall be called Counselor
The king of kings
The everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace

 

 

If you've been part of a choir or if you're familiar with Christmas carols and cantatas, you probably started humming or sang as you read the lyrics:)

 

Christmas is about Jesus, not the gifts or anything. Let's remember that:)

God bless and Merry Christmas!

from a Christmas get together with my high school batch mates

Slumbook

It's almost 4 in the morning and I'm wondering if I'll end up having 3 hours of sleep or 12 because of some pills I took to get rid of my stiff neck and colds.

As I got home late from watching my brother in law play the saxophone at the CCP (also hanged out with my sister and the principal dancers of Ballet Philippines), my housemate hands me this slumbook which I haven't encountered one (unless you consider the more individual version of it such as "the book about me") since elementary. Though the questions of this slumbook are simple, it brings out a lot of thoughts on what one should/can share to another even if that person is really close.

How personal can one be to another? Well, I suppose it depends on how comfortable you are with the person you're opening up to. We have our biases on who we wish to share our deepest darkest secrets to.: be it to a select few or to the whole public. This makes me wonder about how open my life should be to others. Then again, I remember the verse Luke 8:17 where "For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open."

How open can or should I be with this slumbook? I'll try to be as open as I should. The questionsn of the book are funny and some (or a few) are serious. Answering some of the questions no matter how simple and fun they are can get a person like me over thinking on the history of my answers. Yes I know, the past is past. There are things though I'd rather forget, but those were life learned lessons. I may learn more about myself in the process!

There goes the Simbang Gabi bells tolling. I'll answer this when I get up. Good night and good morning everyone:)

Back Portraits (2)

I only made two pieces today. You can view the others here. Happy viewing:)

20.32x25.4cm

20.32x25.4cm

Owner + Oreo!

I got to finish a 70x55cm pen and ink work! I think the last one I made was on September and I missed working on a scale that large. My housemate Gel brought her dog Oreo who kept me company for a bit!

My subject is a custom built jeep, usually called "owner's" here in the Philippines. This would fall on my Inanimates series. Enjoy!

in the making. my lamp was right next to me so the paper didn't seem that brown

Oreo!

I'm one of the 200!

The commute to SM North from Mandaluyong was relaxing. I've been indoors too long that a little fresh air (is there such a thing in Manila?) was needed. I dared not to take the MRT since the trains are packed at 5pm-6pm. Plus I love bus rides.

Other works of participating artists

At the End of the Day

At the end of the day. That was a line I learned several years ago when I was in the BPO industry. That line was used so many times by so many people that I ended up using it too.

Line Art

I'm a bit concerned today about my hand not being as steady as it used to be. Maybe too much coffee. I'll make more of these before I work on anything major. Enjoy viewing:)

to consider
23x30cm

on a day
23x30cm

Black and white...then I used some red. Then Orange... Then...

I just felt like painting flowers and it was relaxing. It was nice to use red. and orange. and... black. hehehe.

with good intentions
30x45

in everything i said
30x45

Pinoy Print Makers + Regalo Art Exhibit

I got to meet the folks behind the Pinoy Print Makers. They are wonderful people and their art is amazing. I first encountered their prints in Absence (art exhibit) at the Manila Contemporary. Printmaking wasn't much of an interest to me back then, most likely because of my lack of technical know how on the medium, but after the lecture I attended which was facilitated by Ambie Abiano with several artists who were demonstrating the process such as Benjamin Turado Cabrera (the cousin of BenCab) and Angelo Magno, it got my interest in trying out the intricate process of creating one.  I was invited by Ambie to visit their studio.

Saturday at the MET Museum: Etched by Acid x100 Lecture on Printmaking and Picasso

Picasso. I remember his name because in the Batman film by Tim Burton (starring Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, and Jack Nicholson) there was a scene was when the Joker had a victim and revealed his victim's "jokered" face to Batman and said "It's no Picasso, but I hope you like it!" After that phrase was said by Joker, my curiosity got me going to the school library to find out who this Picasso was (I was about 8 or 9 years old). I didn't appreciate his works back then since I was into comic book illustrators (I thought Picasso was a Jim Lee or Todd McFarlane of some sort). As i grew up and saw more of his art (from his early works and his different phases), I grew to like them, appreciate them, and, well, there is nothing but praise about his talent!


On December 10 I was invited by a friend of my uncle, Ms. Ambie Abaño, to attend her lecture on Printmaking and Picasso's prints. Ambie is an amazing artist who won several awards and teaches in UP. My uncle Bruno (a French man who I consider as an uncle since he's a good friend of my mom) met her in Paris while she was studying and he talked about me so that's how I got to meet Ambie and made the world a bit smaller!

The ground floor gallery had at least a hundred original prints (yes, I had a bit of Stendhal Syndrome then) by Picasso and there were moment's when I would stand facing his art and get lost with the simple and sophisticated pieces.

minotauro ciego guiado por una nina en la noche
(Minotuar led by young girl at night i think). My favorite piece in the exhibit. I had to search this on the web since picture taking wasn't allowed in the gallery

My Love Hate Relationship with Watercolor

One medium that takes a lot to skill is watercolor. One little mistake then bam. You either make the most of it or start a new one.

My hands lately aren't as steady as they used to be. I hope it's because I'm just tired (I moved to a new apartment and I had a lot of lifting and hammering and the sort done to get settled).

I made three watercolor works today, both under an hour. Here they are! (Forgive the picture quality, It's hard to get good lighting!)

after the storm
30x45cm

Assorted Artwork 2011 (Cars and Others)

This set isn't complete yet and I'm still working on several. I just had the urge to update the blog since it's almost the end of the year!

served in silence
89x63cm

For Both Ends Meet

This series contains images of people we see but forget at the end of the day. They are heroes to some, despised by others. I hope you enjoy this set!

unstoppable.unbreakable
acrylic on canvas
95x124cm

Back Portraits

acrylic on canvas
20.32x25.4cm

Niluwalhating Bayani ng Bata (Glorified Heroes of Children)

Here's a set that's probably as controversial to the exhibit of Mideo at CCP. I just thought about how children view idols and if they were to make their own, who would they dress up?

Some of the Sto Nino idols look like dolls or toys and as a child, you'd wonder about what powers they have.

Artguments with the Coconut Climber and other things when walking

After having a crazy chat with one of my good friends who writes, and paints, I thought of "documenting" all the ideas birthed from that conversation on a 12x18cm blank paged notebook.

Below is a fake writeup by Ramon Taguchi (who is the good friend I chatted with) for the "launching" of this "exhibit". All works and titles did not go through serious thinking. This, again, is just for fun! If I take this album seriously I may have it exhibited. LOL.
 
I'll probably make some serious pieces out of these though :)

Coping with Change

Lines from the Intermediate

__________________________________


"Artguments with the Coconut Climber and other things when walking"

Implicit perhaps, that art has finally lost its nerve-center, Joseph Valente, in his new 2011 series simply entitled "Artguments with the Coconut Climber and other things when walking", has a lot to say about the matter.

Born in 1981, Valente's visions of the world is carefully mirrored in his latest obra maesta series, giving emphasis in the in betweens of the signs of the times.

Inanimates

Aside from painting, I love going pen and ink.
All artwork dimensions are 55x70cm

Assorted 2011 Transition from Color to Black and White

Here are some paintings I made when I shifted to use black and white. I also inserted a little color if I was up to it.

nawala ang lahat. may pag-asa pa.
(everything's lost. there's hope)
124x95cm

My Attempt on Cubism/Abstract

This was made during a time when I was a bit experimental (which I will revisit some other time)

man on fire

95x122cm