Two weeks ago, I got to spend some time at Nuvali\’s Seda Hotel. It was my first time inside, and what an interesting discovery it was! The restaurant offered meals below P400, with a fantastic view of the lake and poolside. Good to know there\’s now a nice option for quiet lunches or meetings in Nuvali. 🙂
![\"Around](\"https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8633/15703412413_a29d61c27c_z.jpg\")
![\"Around](\"https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8623/16135924140_691a55f389_z.jpg\")
Earlier this month, we attended a wedding at St. Benedict\’s Church in Ayala Westgrove, with the reception held at Monochrome Events place next to the Nuvali lake.
![\"Around](\"https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7557/16135747198_40c608df08_z.jpg\")
The last time I visited this was in early 2013 when it was newly opened, and it was nice to see it dressed up for a special event like a wedding.
Was also so happy my precious Nuvali sky didn\’t fail to impress: we were greeted by clouds of glorious pinks, yellows and oranges.
![\"Around](\"https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8571/16297361726_8294c3e282_z.jpg\")
Nuvali will always be home. 🙂
A quick sketch of one of my closest and dearest friends, who is family to me in more ways than one.
Honoring you, for calling me out, for all the encouraging, editing and listening.
Loving you even from far away,
Ate.
How was your 2014?
In August, I did a mid-year review for the widening that was New York, and wow, looking through those doodles now, I wonder how things could’ve taken a turn so bad after a moment of wonderment like that. I didn’t know it then, but I needed that refilling of the well to get through the -ber months that were waiting for me in Manila.
I drew and doodled and painted less after August, but managed enough to squeeze out the below review for the tailend of 2014. If you look carefully between the drawn lines, you will see the struggle to keep seeing the glass as half-full, up until the point of despair. I always say that no news is good news, but it doesn’t apply to creative output. No art is definitely bad news.
This is one of those times when I can declare loudly and clearly that I am so glad for endings. Thank you and goodbye, 2014:
Still thankful for the year in its entirety. Everything is preparation:
BIG HUGS for the new year!
I wrote this a month ago. My circumstances have changed since then (aha!), but it continues to amaze me how things can make a 180 degree turn in an instant. Everyday, anything (and everything) can happen.
So much to be thankful for, friends. Let’s be blessed. 🙂
xx
I remember a rule I learned in sales early on–make the choice for your customer. When you flood a client with options, it is easy to overwhelm him or her into paralysis, and you end up with no sale.
I’m single, in my thirties, and I live in Manila.
Since March I’ve been engaging the wonderful world of online dating, and in just a few months I’ve turned around years of drought or selective raindrops in my love life, to a downpour. The floodgates have opened, mightily, and I am grateful for the abundance. I’ve had to learn to embrace the idea of dating multiple men at the same time, of investing time and energy and opening up authentically to each match but without getting attached. Every new encounter was also an encounter with myself–I got to know things I liked and didn’t like. My online profile was written and rewritten countless times, and checking in on new matches became my everyday past time.
It was fun and genuinely surprising to meet interesting men. Initially even just the validation that they do exist–above-decent, desirable men!–was enough cause for celebration, but eventually it helped to get friends on the dating boat as well. Exchanging stories on our latest dates fed our drive to keep on going.
It came to the point that I found myself being careful though, about getting caught up in the choices. I am a geek, and when I get started on any research, I do not get satisfied until I do a comprehensive swipe. We’ve been brainwashed since childhood that it’s good to “collect and select”, but I didn’t want this to come to the point of chasing after the idea of dating, because I haven’t collected enough. What is enough to begin with?
Because dating has become borderless, there is now an inexhaustible supply of single men, and the temptation to try every jellybean flavor is real and actionable. Choices that were close to none before are now waiting in line, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. You have a match! was a sculpture I did right when I began online dating, and even then, I was already asking, “does it enable or disable relationships?”
It’s a great time to be reassessing this now.
A week ago I decided to delete my online profiles. I feel strangely empowered by having nipped in the bud this fascination with all the fishes in the sea, not because I finally got myself a prize catch, but because I’m done fishing. I’ve seen what’s out there, or more precisely, what it’s like out there, to be actively seeking, and now I want to go back to land and maybe graze for a while. I want to slow down, to the permanence of a solid foundation, a real investment for the long haul. There is something about old school wooing and dating that I still find charming, as in handwritten love letters and chance encounters. I was taken with the promise of efficiency of filtered dates and the broad range of matches outside the geographic confines of Manila, but at the end of the day, I succumb to the hope for a real man, within reach.
I discovered the joy of painting outdoors with Teacher Elaine Herbosa and the rest of the painters at L’Arc en Ciel in early 2013. We would travel 2 hours each way to head to the beaches of Batangas for the day and paint under the scorching sun with our oils and makeshift easels. Paintings would be gestural and finished in an hour, each one a composite not just of visual elements on the final work, but also of the outdoor conditions that influenced the output.
All the more, I cherished every painting/drawing day I had in Central Park last summer. On my last week, I woke up extra early in the mornings and took my canvas to spots that spoke to me. Here are some works from those visits:
A sketch of my good friend, Tom, who took a nap while I sat under the trees and ate sweet summer peaches (side note: I didn’t know peaches were okay to be eaten with their skins! I even blanched them in boiling water to peel off those furry furs at some point).
I love trees. Anywhere, any kind. But especially when they’re inviting and used to being around people, like the ones in public parks. There’s something so reassuring about them.
Summer morning
Acrylic on canvas paper
16×20 inches
July 22, 2014
Quick plein air painting at Central Park. Happy I’m able to paint faster now, this was done in 1.5 hours.
#nyc #sunnyday #centralpark #outdoor #painting #pleinair #balto #trees #summer
Process pics:
Started painting in the Park yesterday as a slow goodbye to NYC. Was drawn to this spot with a dog sculpture, Balto. #nyc #sunnyday #centralpark #outdoor #painting #pleinair #balto #trees #summer
Doodle from one of Central Park’s big boulders, overlooking a baseball field.
I loved waking up to a painting day everyday at the Art Students League. My schedule ran from 1:00pm-9:30pm, which now seems long and exhausting, but I especially enjoyed staying late nights at the studio, working on Abstract Paintings under Frank O’Cain.
Here’s my very first output from his class:
I am still; I am moving.
Acrylic on canvas paper
18×24 inches
July 2, 2014
My first completed work under Frank O’Cain, abstracted from a doodle I made in January. Frank was my top choice for a teacher at the League. I really wanted to find creative direction in abstract painting, and I resonated with his works and statements when I first saw them online. I met him last week — he’s a jolly old man with a sense of flow about him. The class I’m taking is Painting, Composition and Abstraction, and he kept reminding everyone to be aware of movement and balance in our work. He told me to come back today with a painting to show him. I came up with three works. He liked two of them. It was a happy moment when he smiled and said, “You’re good. You’ve got it!” I still have so much to learn and I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder, so I will just let loose and be as playful as I can be. Frank said I can be bolder or surer of my strokes (as opposed to having wishy washy and “safe” strokes). His parting words were very encouraging though: “You’re going to have a lot of fun here!”
#painting #acrylic #abstract #art #artstudentsleagueofnewyork #nyc #sea #alone #stillness #quiet #flow
Process pics:
On my second week, Frank did a demo, abstracting from still life:
He went from this…
…to this:
…in 1.5 hours. The overall spirit of the demo was lighthearted and cheerful, and Frank was indulgent with our questions and excited interruptions. It’s always a pleasure to watch an artist get in the zone and have his way with his medium, but when a teacher is doing it to deliberately share his creative process, it’s even more rewarding, for everyone.
Here’s the aftermath of his palette:
Looks straightforward and honest. I like that about acrylics.
Other works I did under his watch:
Brooklyn Bridge
Acrylic on gesso board
12×16 inches
July 2, 2014
#painting #acrylic #abstract #art #artstudentsleagueofnewyork #nyc #brooklyn #bridge
Black squirrel
16×20 inches
Acrylic on canvas paper
July 3, 2014
Just playing! Learned to use bigger brushes today — enjoyed my strokes here. This one is for that nice day I saw a black squirrel at the park. #painting #acrylic #abstract #art #goodvibe
Abstracting the black squirrel…
Remember the Black Squirrel painting from last week? This is how it looks now. I’ve been going deeper into abstract painting, which for me is an even more demanding process than realism. You can’t do abstract work if you’re not centered. The piece may be overworked as it is, but I feel as if something else still wants to pop out. My teacher says that with every abstract work, you come out with either something insane or something that works. Let’s see where this leads. 🙂 #painting #acrylic #abstract #art #artstudentsleagueofnewyork #nyc #wip #workinprogress #justplaying
Here’s another one I’m working on, inspired by that lovely Sunday bike ride in Governor’s Island.
#painting #acrylic #abstract #art #artstudentsleagueofnewyork #nyc #wip #workinprogress #justplaying #biking #governorsisland
Here’s my favorite output from Abstract Painting class, an image from a dream I had. What do you see in the work?
Dream I
Acrylic on canvas
18×24 inches
July 16, 2014
#painting #acrylic #abstract #art #artstudentsleagueofnewyork #nyc #sea
Below is the last work I completed in class, done the day before I left NYC.
The Night of Many Firsts
18×24 inches
Acrylic on canvas
July 23, 2014
#nyc #art #abstract #acrylic
Also documenting unfinished attempts:
Work in progress
Inspired by those bright orange lilies in Tita Bebot’s garden
16×20 inches
Acrylic on canvas paper
#painting #acrylic #abstract #art #lilies #orange #yellow #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
Process:
On Week Two at the Art Students League, I switched to a painting class, still under Mary Beth McKenzie, and came up with these portraits. The small double portrait was a struggle for me, so for the next poses, I opted for solos. I also discovered the joy of painting on unstretched canvas pads–perfect for quick paintings on-the-go.
My favorites from this series are the stylized Betty and Henry I, done with experiments with the palette knife.
As in Remembering New York, Summer 2014 (Part 1: Large-Scale Drawings), below are the paintings I came up with, captioned with thoughts for each day:
First day of painting from life today under Mary Beth McKenzie. I have never painted a live figure before but gosh how I’ve missed painting! All the colors! I started with yellows, blues and reds, but muted them in tones to get a more realistic feel. Even then, you can tell that I’m not a big fan of traditional colors. Hopefully after 4 weeks of this I will have figured out something more concrete about what I like and don’t like in figure painting! Students at the League normally have 3 weeks to finish a painting, after which a new pose is introduced. I’m coming in on week2 for this pose. How nice it must be to work on a huge canvas! It requires a different mindset. Composition-wise, it’s a great exercise. I want to take my works home, though, so I’m painting small (18×24 inches — which is still a good size).
Seated Male and Female Acrylic on canvas
18×24 inches
Work in progress
#painting #live #figure #onthespot acrylic #workinprogress #artstudentsleagueofnewyork #nyc
Day2 update on this painting. Most details done, but I’m still on the fence about what to do with the background. Tomorrow our teacher comes in for a critique. Hope she has helpful insights. I see people in class use mirrors to check for errors (easier to spot in mirror-image)…maybe I’ll do that too tomorrow! 🙂 #painting #acrylic #live #figure #art #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
The many transformations of the background:
We are alone.
Acrylic on canvas
18×24 inches
July 11, 2014
What is intimacy? Why do we sometimes feel more alone when we’re with someone?
—–
Thought I’d have this afternoon to work on the final details of this but our female model didn’t show up today. Will have to pick it up at some point and finish it from memory or imagination, but for now it is done.
#painting #acrylic #figure #onthespot #2weekpose #male #female #alone
Quick painting today, under 2 hours. Tried to capture the model’s mood but I think I showed more of mine. :p Trying to paint in the same loose way I did those large scale drawings. But I like the rawness of this. #painting #acrylic #figure #live #female
“Models are posing.”
Acrylic on Canvas
18×24 inches
July 16, 2014
We paint from life at the League. There are two models posing together but my seat has the better view for a single figure. Betty will hold this pose from 1pm to 430pm everyday, with 5 minute breaks every 20 mins, for three weeks.
#painting #acrylic #figure #live #female #portrait #studio #artstudentsleagueofnewyork #nyc
Two more versions of Betty. I’ve been painting one Betty a day this week! #painting #acrylic #figure #live #female #portrait #studio #artstudentsleagueofnewyork #nyc #art
Blue Betty
Acrylic on canvas
18×24 inches
July 17, 2014
#painting #acrylic #figure #live #female #portrait #studio #artstudentsleagueofnewyork #nyc #art
Betty
Acrylic on canvas
18×24 inches
July 17, 2014
Experimented with lines and texture — I like the scrapes and scratches and the stylized edges. Teacher said that among my four works this week, the paintings that are most succesful are this and Blue Betty. Now I’m understanding the benefits of 1) painting everyday, and 2) painting from life, and 3) painting the same subject everyday.
#painting #acrylic #figure #live #female #portrait #studio #artstudentsleagueofnewyork #nyc #art
Henry I
Acrylic on canvas
18×24 inches
July 21, 2014
Changed seats in class today and played with the palette knife. Will try a full portrait tomorrow.
#nyc #art #painting #acrylic #figure #live #male #hat #suit #white #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
Henry II
Acrylic on canvas
18×24 inches
July 22, 2014
Last portrait from Live Figure Painting class. Tried to incorporate lessons from abstract class into the background. Not sure if it was successful, but I’m happy with the color play.
I’ve been dreaming of taking classes at the Art Students League for years. Imagine my glee when I finally arrived in New York last summer, and more so after signing up for my first official class: Large-Scale Drawing under Mary Beth McKenzie. I bought my large-format paper, metal clips, charcoal, Hake brushes, and ink, and like a giddy schoolgirl knocked on the 4th floor studio of the League. I attended two afternoon sessions in this class, each one lasting about 3.5 hours. Below are the drawings I came up with, captioned with thoughts for each day. Unfortunately, these were too large to fit into my suitcase and I had to leave them behind in New York.
* * *
My many firsts: first nude in over 3 months (di na sanay!), first in large-scale format, and first work at the Art Students League. I don’t think I’ll get to take this home, so if you’re in New York and have lots of wall space, wink me (yes, wink me). 😉
Male Nude
Vine charcoal on paper
36×48 inches (approximate)
June 23, 2014
#drawing #onthespot #20minutepose #live #male #nude #nyc
Female Nude
Vine charcoal on paper
36×48 inches (approximate)
June 23, 2014
#drawing #onthespot #20minutepose #live #female #nude #nyc
Male Nude II
Vine charcoal on paper
36×48 inches (approximate)
June 23, 2014
I had a harder time with the long pose (more time = better work, more details). Must learn not to put pressure on myself.
#drawing #onthespot #40minutepose #live #male #nude #nyc
Female Nude II
Sumi ink on paper
36×48 inches (approximate)
June 23, 2014
My first attempt at Sumi ink drawing/painting. I just had two wide Hake brushes and couldn’t get thin strokes in so I just went with it and played. It was so much fun. I was surprised that people in my class really liked this work. Malakas daw siya.
#drawing #onthespot #20minutepose #live #female #nude #nyc #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
Female Nude II and III
Sumi ink on paper
36×48 inches (approximate)
June 23, 2014
The one on my left is my favorite from yesterday. I rushed to the Art shop downstairs during the 5-minute break and bought a smaller Chinese brush that let me do proper detailing. I think I’m going to enjoy Sumi ink!
#drawing #onthespot #20minutepose #40minutepose #live #female #nude #nyc #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
Here’s a closer look, also at my drawing process:
Seated Female Nude
Charcoal and Sumi ink on paper
36×48 inches ( approximate )
June 24, 2014
First drawing today. I decided to play with both charcoal and ink in one work– I think the layers came out nice. This particular model was fussy about the cold. The class monitor had to turn off the airconditioner many times even if she already had a heater dedicated for her. Made me wonder how nude models manage during winter.
#drawing #onthespot #20minutepose #live #female #nude #nyc #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
The same work before being inked:
Reclined Female Nude
Charcoal and Sumi ink on paper
36×48 inches ( approximate )
June 24, 2014
No fuss, fluid drawing that was just so playful.
#drawing #onthespot #20minutepose #live #female #nude #nyc #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
Reclined Female Nude II
Charcoal and Sumi ink on paper
36×48 inches ( approximate )
June 24, 2014
Quick, looser version of the same pose. Drawn in under 10 minutes. Still large-scale.
#drawing #onthespot #20minutepose #live #female #nude #nyc #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
Seated Female Nude
Charcoal and Sumi ink on paper
36×48 inches ( approximate )
June 24, 2014
This was a longer pose so I decided to do measurements to get proportions right. Still something I struggle with (I spent 20 minutes just measuring!), and you can see my mistakes in the finished work. I like how it turned out and think it’s even better with the layers of drawings visibly there.
#drawing #onthespot #40minutepose #live #female #nude #nyc #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
Work-in-progress:
Seated Male Nude
Charcoal on paper
36×48 inches ( approximate )
June 26, 2014
#drawing #onthespot #20minutepose #live #male #nude #nyc #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
Seated Male Nude
Charcoal and Sumi ink on paper
36×48 inches ( approximate )
June 26, 2014
Just playing around with the male figure and face. #drawing #onthespot #20minutepose #live #male #nude #nyc #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
Reclined Male and Female Nude
Charcoal on paper
36×48 inches ( approximate )
June 26, 2014
We always have 2 models posing side by side in class and this was the first time I drew them together. Each was a challenging pose to do on its own — I wish I had more time to detail the woman, but even the male model gave me a thumbs up when he saw my drawing. Heehee.
#drawing #onthespot #40minutepose #live #male #female #nude #nyc #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
I document my process to help keep track of mistakes and triumphs. Choosing to zoom in on the models in this work and do a back-to-back pose was new for me. Lesson learned: experiment! With 40 minutes to set up, compose, sketch and detail a piece, it’s natural to draw in default mode. For me that meant doing sight size (you put your paper next to the model and copy your subject “as is”– in the same size from where you’re standing). Scaling up or down requires extra effort and in my case, leaves room for mistakes in proportion. But!!! I really am proud I pushed myself a little in this drawing. If I were to keep this I’d probably cut out the woman and display it this way. Starting next week I’ll explore classes that will let me paint longer poses. Some models keep the same pose for 4 weeks to let artists work without having to rush. Amazing possibilities!
Reclined Male and Female Nude (detail)
Charcoal on paper
36×48 inches ( approximate )
June 26, 2014
#drawing #onthespot #40minutepose #live #male #female #nude #nyc #artstudentsleagueofnewyork
A friend likes to greet me with, “What is your story?” It is his way of cutting through the small talk and being present in every conversation. I am always thankful to be asked this, and it has defined our friendship for years, giving it a premise (and promise) of “I am interested in you, and I acknowledge that your story changes.”
Over the weekend I had the grace to flesh out my story now, at age 33, and as always, my answers began with even more questions:
The big questions, those outside of me, also joined in:
I’ve been at the threshold of big changes for a while now, and it’s easy to fall into perfection paralysis, but it’s the questioning that sharpens what needs sharpening and thrusts what needs thrusting.
How about you? What is your story? What are your questions?
A Day at the Beach
Acrylic on canvas
12×15 inches
September 23, 2014
For this project, we were asked to change the color of a universally known subject to effect a change in meaning or perception.
I chose a subject that finds meaning in being blue: the sea. It is familiar to us and envelopes us, comprising two thirds of our physical world (it’s easy to forget how awesome that is!). Azure, aqua and turquoise are colors we associate with the sea. Also, Filipinos, by default, are sea lovers–it’s our reality, with our 7,107 islands, and we face it on a primary, practical level.
So what happens when we take something so familiar and automatic, and change its “clothes”? To change the color of the sea to red is tantamount to taking away not just its surface identity, but what makes it what it is. I tried to picture this reality without the common references to a red sea: biblical (Moses and the exodus from Egypt), environmental (dolphin/whale hunt), war (bloody battle). How would we relate to the sea if it were red? If we never knew it to be blue, would it still be a place of rest and recreation? Would swimming still be our immediate response to its waters?
I wanted to depict a scenario of the sea as a forgotten, taunting place, akin to a forbidden forest which no one wishes to enter. It may be intense in its anger when its waves come crashing on the shore, but even in its calmest, as in a hidden cove, it is uninviting. It invades you, pushes you back, as is the nature of the color red. And yet it is still alluring because it is unknown and forbidden.
To put this alternative reality of a red sea into context, I wanted to show how a typical day at a red beach would be like. One’s outfit would be a great determiner for this, and I initially considered having a family in full wetsuits and protective gear, wading in its waters. But I realized a red sea wouldn’t even merit a swimming scenario, and just went with the idea of barricading the sea.
The fence is there to quietly say that the sea is off limits. Precisely because of this, however, it taunts and summons. It becomes more alluring. I chose to add in a woman looking out into the sea, curious but hesitant, acknowledging that she is drawn to this quietly agitating force.
I wanted to render the whole work using a palette knife, to complement the edgy feel of a red sea. This resulted in a flat work that highlighted nothing. I later decided to give emphasis to the water by rendering it with a brush, and adding details, such as waves and ripples. I think this was a successful choice, creating a mood for the work that is somber, brooding, and yet inviting in its danger of being unknown.
Composition-wise, I chose to situate the viewer of the work right in the middle of the water—hence the beach in the distance and the platform at the foreground. I wanted to give the feeling of being invaded by the water but only at arm’s length–the viewer is also kept at bay (because the sea is forbidden). I felt this to be very red.
I am happy with the outcome of this project, and feel that I was able to effectively meet the objective of changing perception or meaning through a change in color.
This exercise was also an exercise in philosophy for me, because it made me delve into the effect of color on how we see and react to things. It made me understand how perception is so fleeting–a small adjustment in color, for example, alters the mood of a work, whether intended or not. This is important to really understand because perception is what we are working with as visual artists—we create or recreate realities by putting together visual elements that are received or perceived by our audience. To learn how to play and manipulate images to direct perception is a skill I wish to develop and master.
![\"Wakeboarding](\"https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5582/14952026780_2528d1b29e_z.jpg\")
After three years of saying, \”I want to wakeboard\” in Nuvali, I finally decided to just do it!
We went on the Monday morning of the recent long weekend (thank you, National Heroes Day).
Blessing for the day: slightly overcast sky so we got semi-shielded from the sun. What gave us not-so-happy vibes: the line at the beginner lake was too long! We only got two attempts each, and waited over an hour for each round. Our advice: go early mornings on weekdays. Avoid holidays and weekends (includes Fridays).
![\"Wakeboarding](\"https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3871/14952135977_db222b47f7_z.jpg\")
Just the same, it was AWESOME!
It wasn\’t as hard as I thought it would be.
![\"Wakeboarding](\"https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3891/15135707931_15b1f14869_z.jpg\")
![\"Wakeboarding](\"https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3899/14952138128_61e9b39151_z.jpg\")
And I\’m super proud of myself for being able to stand on my first try! I didn\’t make it all the way to the end, but I know that with a little more training, it will happen.
![\"Wakeboarding](\"https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3889/14952135437_7bcbae741f_z.jpg\")
All smiles despite the \”bitin\” session — next time we will go on a non-peak day!
![\"Wakeboarding](\"https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5565/14952027110_9883084b10_z.jpg\")
