Not Wallpaper

My dad had to give a talk at the Manila Contemporary yesterday so my sisters and I tagged along to give him some moral support (and make sure his powerpoint actually works).

Photo by Kara

The place was full of huge paintings which were meant to represent the exhibit theme of parameter, play and repetition. We had so much fun taking pictures, we didn't realize that our photos had unintentionally reduced the artwork to background wallpaper. Expensive wallpaper.

Check out the rest of the exhibit here.

Illustration Friday - IMPOSSIBILITY

Night Creature, 2009

I always enjoy jazzing up a regular everyday scene with a touch of impossibility :)

Perhaps this is the best thing about being a researcher by profession and an illustrator on the side?

Take My Breath Away

Project George, 2009

This month's Project George artwork was inspired by Matte Stephens, one of my favorite flickr artists. Although I'm not sure if he would be pleased to know that his whimsical drawing has been turned into a commentary on air pollution. :P

PS. Thanks to our model and his supportive mommy for being so patient during the shoot!

Papa and the Little Red Horse

When Papa was a little boy, his parents had a tradition of bringing the whole family to a church in Antipolo during the month of May. Papa loved these annual visits because the nearby market always had the coolest things.

There was a wooden machine gun that went rat-ta-ta-tat as you turned its little knob

a green toy snake that could twist and coil when held by its tail

and a tin bird that bobbed its head when pulled by a string.

Yet - while his parents gamely bought him the gun, the snake and the tin bird, there was one toy he wanted but could never have: a little red papier mache horse. For some reason, his parents always said NO. And everytime Papa would ask why, they would simply respond:

What would you do with a papier mache horse?

Eventually, time passed and the family stopped visiting the Antipolo church. Papa grew up and went on to wanting other things. But he never got his little red horse.

So imagine Papa's delight when, more than forty years later, he finds himself on a road trip to Paete, a city known for its wood carvers and craftsmen. THE PLACE WHERE PAPIER MACHE HORSES COME FROM.

All the way from the South Luzon Expressway, Papa told his kids about his important mission.

We travelled to three churches (Mama reminded us that the whole point of the trip was the Visita Iglesia and not a search for paper animals).

Weaved our way through a a whole lot of people

And just when we were about to give up

Papa finally got his red papier mache horse.
Except that this time it wasn't so little anymore because neither was he.

More pictures on the search for Papa's little red horse here.

Tito Arturo Makes Robot Monsters

Just a peek at what's been happening the past few days:

Anito, 2009

Paper Monsters, 2009

Do you guys remember the legend of the monster snake
who lived in the basement of Robinsons?
Noguchi, 2009

Drawing a series of illustrations can be fun but also a little nerve-wracking for someone as impatient as me. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product and moving on...even if it will take a few more months.

It's Easter in a few days!

Color inspiration

I was working on extending my tea series but wanted to differentiate the new watercolors from my earlier work. After a few days of brainstorming, I realized that the solution was a simple case of working backwards.

Instead of starting with a sketch, I decided to let a color theme determine the subject of my work. Luckily, Snippet and Ink's wedding inspiration boards provided the perfect inspiration for this experiment.

For the first work, an inspiration board called Licorice and Lemon Drops made me think of salabat and how our grandparents always recommended it as the best way to get rid of a cold.

Lemon Ginger, 2009

Meanwhile, an inspiration board entitled Hot Air Balloons and Polka Dots led to a drawing of daydreams and travel. For some reason, the orange and blue palette made me imagine a sunny kitchen on a Saturday morning.

Wanderlust, 2009

What do you guys think?
More to come soon!

Illustration Friday - Subtract

It takes a lot of work not to subtract too much from our savings!