HOW I FEEL 2 - Las Nomadas

This is EXACTLY how I've been feeling this past month and a week - like a lost soul who's found salvation.

(Ma-drama no?)

3 REASONS WHY PA-CONTEST

The Story of O
pen and ink on paper
11" x 17"

As promised in a previous post, I have decided to give in to Arthur's request to give out this work (featured above) that he's never been able to get from my place since he moved to another country. (It's paid for, so this piece actually has monetary value, hehehe...)

Like The Angel I previously gave out, the mechanics for this one would be pretty simple. HOWEVER, instead of being the "nth person to post in the comments" section, I've raised the ante a little bit.

Simply write 3 Reasons on WHY you want it. The most creative (it doesn't matter whether you do it through song and dance in a video, written word or even through drawing) gets it. That's it.

If you like to know more of this piece, well... click here. I've written something about it a long time ago.

I will forward all responses to 4 people, namely Shy, Ben, Andre (three very dear people who know all the sordid details about this piece and its history) and its soon-to-be former owner Arthur. They'll be judging as to whose response will be best.

By the way, I urge those who'll send a post in the comments section to leave an email address so it'd make announcing to the person who gets it a bit more easier. :-) (Sorry but I cannot accept comments marked "anonymous". It feels weird receiving anonymous notes, like it's from a ghost or something.)

The deadline? Hmmm... exactly the stroke of midnight of March 30, 2008 (Manila time). I will announce the winner, five days after the deadline.

That's all I guess. Good luck.

Oh, and uhm... Thanks!!!

p.s.
Donnie, if you're reading this, Thank you man. :-)

WHY CANVAS?

JEEP NI JUAN

wala lang :-)

I might sound like a broken record for I think this is the second time I am mentioning the ROCK FOR JUAN PROJECT of Canvas. (click here) Heck, who cares?! I am repeating this not because I am part of the organization that's doing this gig BUT methinks this is an idea worth spreading.
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On a personal level, since it's a Good Friday, I gave myself some time to think on why I am part of Canvas. (You could read the whole purpose of the foundation being as it is in it's homepage. It's there for all to see.)

... and I will attempt to do it semi-pictorially.


Yeah, it's for the kids.

I am a proud uncle to a barangay of children - little tykes who will grow to up be men and women who will continue to shape this country with others. And it is for them I am an artist.

It isn't just for the ego boost that if I make it someday as one, my descendants can say with a tinge of pride, "Uy, lolo ko yan", (that is, if they're not throwing eggs at my works and dissing it) but it's something deeper. It is to leave a tangible and "living" memory for them, to show them what I've learned now and perhaps they can know in the future.

Oh, and that's my youngest nephew Zach (picture on the right, above) being held by Bern. Isn't he cute? :-)



I love being Pinoy.

I cannot draw nor paint anything that is not part of my experience. As far as my experiences go, these are defined by my being Filipino. There's no other country that's more beautiful, more inspiring and more wonderful than that which I call home. (I just wish those who are in the position to lead us get their acts together)

Besides, I also think that Filipinos are the best-looking Southeast Asians, period.



Artists are cool.

It becomes more cool to know and rub elbows with some of the country's excellent young artists, to hear their ideas, to trade thoughts with them and to just simply be with people who see and experience things with brighter headlights.

A friend of mine has been encouraging me to come up with a scrapbook. Just imagine how many artists I get to know along the way. I can come up with a who's who sort of scrapbook. Hmmm...



Art makes life more interesting to live

Imagine this. Not only do you get to interact with these wonderful and highly creative individuals but there's always an explosion of colors, images and visual ideas that pop right in front of your eyes. These works of art excites not only the mind and eyes but are a soothing salve to the soul.

Yeah, that's what Canvas is right smack in. Art. And what better time to be in it than now, when the Filipino artist is slowly and steadily gaining his own share of the spotlight in the world.

Yup, right now. Philippine ART - it rocks!

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These, and I am very proud to say, are some of the books and items we have produced at Canvas. To date, we've produced or have been part of more than half a dozen very successful art shows and been part of several artists careers.



...some of the posters I did for our group's events and exhibits.



And there'll be more to come. :-)

By the way, I got this very beautiful Limited Print from Plet Bolipata.
Thanks Plet!

p.s.
Some of the photos above I filched from a wonderful photographer/blogger's site Señor Enrique. Thanks Eric!

Maundy (Hahaha) Thursday

It's Maundy Thursday.

When the whole city's either spending their time in the churches contemplating or some of them packing their bags and heading off to the beaches, here I am sitting in front of the computer laughing my head off to these guys.



Attack of the Stalking Mangina... Lol! Precious




Reminds me of a couple of "creative individuals" I know. Hehehe...



Now THIS is a Wicked Gadget! Hahaha...

(Okay, I'd better go back to working on the logo that's taking me forever to do.)

T-SHIRTS!!! T-SHIRTS!!!

Last Saturday, we had a rockin' time with some of the artists involved in our next kick ass project at Canvas. It's our ROCK AND ART PROJECT for October. It was a party to get the artists together and those who came had a grand time at the new Canvas Gallery in Quezon City.

To commemorate that event, we came up with this t-shirt designed by yours truly - me. We gave it out to the artists during the event and after the Holy Week, these cool limited tees will be available at 1/OF GALLERY in SERENDRA.


Note: I like this t-shirt. It makes me look thin. Hehehe... ROCK ON JUAN!!!

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Addendum: A while back I was chatting online with a dear friend and he told me, "Tayona you had a pa-contest online pala. Sige, spread the love. Sabihin mo - a very good friend of mine- arthur- owns this but wants it to be raffled off."

Hahaha, okay. I will take up his offer on this one. He owns several works of mine and he was never able to pick up one in my place when he moved to the U.S.

Watch out for it on my next post!!

100TH POST AND AN ANGEL

Angel Flowers
9.5" x 12.5"
ink and acrylic on paper

Sometime middle of last year, a good friend of mine named Donnie left for Malaysia. Before he did, he sent me a text message saying "Open your email. I have a gift for you." When I did, I was surprised that he made this blog for me as his parting gift.

Prior to this, I would email enmasse to everyone in my directory whatever image I get to finish. I was surprised that he kept all my emails and images. I thank him for that. And I thank him for this blog. At least now, I don't clog other people's inboxes.

As a sort of gratitude to those few individuals who actually read and surf through here, I am "celebrating" my 100th post with a sort of "pa-contest" Thank You.

That Angel above, I am giving it out to the Tenth Person who would send me a note in the comment section of this blog saying "I WANT IT." That simple.

If you're a local who gets this Angel, I will simply leave the artwork at 1/Of Gallery in Serendra for you to pick up anytime. If you're not a local, do give me some time for me to FedEx this.

I will announce who gets it TEN DAYS from now - March 25th.

Thanks a million to you. :-)

HOW I FEEL

angel's heart
9.5" x 12.5"
ink and acrylic on paper

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's words describe precisely what I feel right now. I will let this sonnet speak for how my life has been "singing" for the past few days.




SONNET XLIII - Sonnets from the Portuguese


How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints,--I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.




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p.s. Thanks to Joel (a.k.a. Mcvie) I have decided that I will be giving out a work in celebration of my 100th posting in this blog. I'll be giving out the details on my next post.

Cheers!