The Tree Goddess

It is She
who nurtures and weeps.



Her hands outstretched
reaching for the creatures
that clings to her in anguish.



It is She
who will bear the fruits
that will be devoured



whose leaves will shelter
as they dry and fall




in the moist ground
beneath her covered feet
where after the rain
the wildflower will grow
like a smile of hope
in the midst
of a weeping world . . .

Studies for Shadows

Sometimes in our quest
to understand and know more
we find ourselves alone . . .





but it is not always so
because our shadows
silently trail our path





waiting and knowing
trusting and faithful





in all the paths we take . . .





Medium: Colored pencil and paper, 2005

A Tribute to Chicky

HoundsInHeaven, September2007


HoundsInHeaven, September2007


HoundsInHeaven, September2007


HoundsInHeaven, September2007


HoundsInHeaven, September2007


HoundsInHeaven, September2007


These pieces were assembled using dried twigs
taken from our chico tree named Chicky.
The twigs were painted and mounted
on painted illustration boards and canvas
together with other 'discards' like
buttons, rambutan skins, etc.

Commissioned Work!

My famous pinoy hound Sweepy
has commissioned me to create
several works for his blog:

1. Logo for DogsWithBlogs
of which he is a member . . .

but he said he does not want
several dogs with him . . .


2. He wanted a drawing of him
with some techie gadgets like
laptops and mobile phone:

but he does not want the blue shirt
and he wanted a laptop with a bone logo
and possibly with a music player . . .


Earlier, he asked me to make illustrations
for his well-loved bedtime story
"The Pink Cat" which is a tribute
for all the cats that used to live in heaven
and for all beings with 'insecurity issues'. . .

well, at least this one he accepted
with no whining and drooling . . .
He is quite a demanding client.


These works can be seen at his blog:
http://sweepyheaven.blogspot.com/

Creatives On-Situ

This is a study for an ongoing multi-media project.
I used the whole length of my bedroom walls to draft concepts and ideas. People marvel at the 'mural' but I always tell them it is just a study. Although I have illustrations and graphics made, I still need to validate certain visual concepts and spatial concerns. Now, I can execute the same concept in less time and with better results.

This experiment entails clearing my walls of artworks given by artist-friends. For lack of space I decided to work on available surfaces: the walls, doors, and yes, maybe later the ceilings, are great alternatives to canvas plus the dependable student-grade acrylic paints which I used for my workshop sessions. Not only will the study provide the medium to validate concepts but also a delightful artwork which I now enjoy since it is in my bedroom!

For lack of space for my growing folios and documents I started clearing my space and started the tedious process of screening valuables (which my house mates refer to as trash and shopaholic loot) to see which needs to go and which items to keep. I was able to clear my space (with loads of tears) of books, tapes, floppy disks, cds, cards, toys, magazine collection (in mint condition!), lamps, chairs (I design and collect certain furniture and furnishings), ceramics collection, musical instruments (I kept most of my bells though), some stuff I rarely use like bags, evening shoes, clothes, and artworks. Some of the artworks were given by friends and it pained me a lot to let go of them. But I have to. . . I had a garage sale and practically gave away most of my art collection through small bids. Now, my closet has to share its limited space with my art supplies, documents, folios, etc. Three plastic trunks under my bed now hold my small collection of books and special invites/brochures. Clearing the space attract positive energies which allow me to do multiple tasks.

The few paintings I decided to keep have to be incorporated in my 'wall mural' to save on space. Below is an old oil painting of my artist-friend Eric Ealdama who once painted these flowers he brought to my place of work. Eric, who is now abroad, is a great artist and a helpful friend. As a musician he provided background music to one of my satire monologues. Eric, if you happen to read this, please keep in touch . . .


This painting below is another gift from an artist-friend Victor Secuya whose meditative works helped me deal with the grief of my parents death in the 90s. Secuya and Ealdama's works are like eternal blooms that feed the memory and connect the past to the present. Like great works of art, they live as touching reminders of a soul communicating beyond the surfaces of the materials. And that is why I am holding on to it . . .

The multi-media project I am working on will be captured in words (a book), in drawing, painting and installation works (visual arts), a short documentary film and performance. Some of these media have been executed as a study until its completion.

Waste2Art

Clocks from recycled old newspapers


Clock component will be installed later.
An old ceramic wall calendar painted.


Paper Sculpture from old newspapers



Boxes and Paper Folio from recycled paper


Birds of Paradise from recycled politician's flyers!
looks like the real thing!
this is an ongoing study and workshop using
old newspapers, ceramic calendars, bottles, etc.
that can be recycled as functional art.
February 2007 - Present

Book of Shadows

a multi-media work in progress
November 2005-Present