Life is a Canvas

It was a warm Sunday morning when my friends and I decided to unwind in nearby town. Our destination: Lake Sebu, a 30-minute drive from Koronadal South Cotabato, where my friend and his family live. This wasn’t really part of the plan as our original target was to visit the white sand beaches of Glan, Sarangani Province. But due to the recklessness of a motorcycle driver, who bumped the back of our car, we decided to change our route and off to the mountains of Lake Sebu we found another alternative place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city-at least for a while.

Lake Sebu is a mountainous and peaceful town noted for its lake and Tilapia (a freshwater fish), seven waterfalls, and its friendly people the T’bolis. It has a lot of attractions to offer to its visitors but I won’t dwell so much on these things right now. Maybe on my next post.

Aside from its mouth-watering Tilapia delicacies, one thing that we enjoyed so much was the setting up of a new attraction for extreme sports enthusiasts- the Zip Line. For only P250, you can have a breathtaking experience of crossing a mountainous landscape. There are two zip lines to enjoy. One has a distance of 700 meters; the other one has 400 meters. With more than 1,000 ft. high, you will see a spectacular view of the people, rivers, trees, and even the waterfalls! It is truly a breathtaking experience! Too bad I forgot to bring a cam, I could have recorded the stunning views while flying like Superman. Nevertheless, I hope these pictures taken by my friend before and during our flight would suffice.

a view before and during take off ….on Left- see the tiny people inside the circle? on Right side-it’s not a bird nor a plane, it’s me and YC!

December 30, Friday morning.  I saw those fruits again, filling the tray, on the round table.  Tomorrow before midnight, I expect this set to be completed.  A display of thirteen, round fruits of different kinds-local or imported, big or small, doesn’t really matter, so long as it is round-shaped;pomelo, guava, apple, grapes, melon and the list goes on.  “It has to be thirteen fruits of different kinds.  Not fourteen, twelve or twenty.” says my resolute mother. As per count, the set still needs one to complete so she orders me to look for another round-shaped fruit in our backyard.  I look around and notice the star apple tree with few-weeks-old-fruits on its branches.  The fruits are still young and are not fit to be eaten but I must find a way to get it or I’ll be forced to go to the market and find one to complete the set on the table.  “It is still unripe but this is better than nothing.” my mother, as she examines what I’ve got.

This has been a practice for many years. And I always wonder about it.  I know, not only my mother does this strange preparation before the New Year starts. Other households do this too-my sisters’, my sisters-in-law’, my aunts’ and neighbors’-every household I came across with during New Year had this outlandish manner of greeting the fresh start of the calendar year.  All together they could form a secret society of  “Mothers-who-love-to-prepare-thirteen-different-round-shaped-fruits-every-end-of-the-year” and I could highly, proudly, seriously, and greatly nominate my mother to be their president.  Their strange act created an adverse effect in the market. It resulted to an abrupt increase of the prices of round-shaped fruits during this season. Talk about the law of supply and demand.  Some   businesspeople take advantage of this scenario.  If you don’t have fruits in your backyard, and if you have the money, you can easily have this set of fruits together with its tray wrapped in colored water cellophane, with matching ribbon creatively tied on it-and a price that would surely make your jaw agape.

I once ask my mother about this weird and wonderful practice.

“So we would be blessed.  This would make us abundant for the whole year round.”  her reply.  Members of this “secret society” may have this same notion.  Really.  I got no way of knowing how it works but somehow I already have the idea. It is a form of belief.  Superstitions? Whatever.  There are always two sides of a coin.  It depends on how you perceive it.  It is not healthy to believe in misleading notion but that is not how I see it.  My point? So long as it won’t hurt and does not make you look awful, and does not hamper your day-to-day chores, there’s nothing to worry about.

During the Prehistoric Period, our forefathers had a unique way of making things happen.   They painted animal pictures in a cave.  This had been exhumed in the caves of Altamira, Spain, and Lascaux, France in 1879 and 1941 respectively.  This amazing discovery inside the cave was believed to be the oldest painting in human history-thousands of years ago.  Surprisingly, experts noticed that these creative pursuits of our ancestors were located in inaccessible locations. Thus, the idea of this endeavor as a form of socialization and congregation is ruled out.  Some animal paintings were associated with weapons related to hunting such as spears, and arrows.  Making anthropologists speculate that the purpose of these cave dwellers’ astounding works inside the cave is a form of magic. A belief.  Our ancestors may had this belief that the more realistic their painting, the more successful their hunting will become.  They wanted to capture the spirit of their huge target in their painting.  This strange practice builds skill and confidence in the hunter-in short; it is some sort of practice for the real kill.

Psychologists call it “Psyching-Up”.  Unlike superstitious belief, this mental exercise has a sound basis in modern psychology.  The more you think of it, the more it is planted in the soil of your subconscious. And once it is planted, somehow it would grow into action.  Call it the power of mind. While prehistoric hunters thought their ritual gave them strength and power to find and slaughter the real animal on the field, we know today that visualizing is a necessary element for an intricate physical or mental undertaking. Entertainers, and those into different sports and competitions use this technique.  Managers, coaches, and leaders of different fields visualize abundance and victory first before they fuel the passion of their subordinates and get the job done.

I can relate to this.  Yes.  Three years ago, I pondered about my life and what would I become in the future.  In a scratch paper, I wrote down my dreams and what I really want to do with my life. Some great, some odd, and some had no sense at all.  Just for the sake of fun.  I had been doing this practice but it was only stored in the hard disk of my mind. This time, I decided to write down everything for clarity, focus, and inspiration. And right in my hand, I held my dreams and greatest joy in life.  It was in a scratch paper but the ecstasy of reading it had elevated me to a greater height of excitement and anticipation-a dream that would soon turn into reality. A belief. I read it over and over again.  And again. Specially at hard times.  Some think it is unreal. I think of it as magic.

After a toxic month of work, it’s time to do nothing. :-)  The picture above was shot in Misamis Oriental, Philippines

Finally, the much awaited moment for Mindanao Artists has come, the result of Mindanao Art Awards-the Regional Competition of the Philippine Art Awards (PAA) 2009. The awarding ceremony was held in Misamis Oriental’s Provincial Capitol in Cagayan de Oro City. The contest was the first part of the grandest art competition in the country. Ten regional winners received a trophy and a 40,000.00 cash prize for each winner. The second part of the competition will be held in Manila in 2010 wherein 40 winning entries from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region will vie for the P 350,000.00 Grand Prize, P 120,000.00 five Jurors Choice Awards for Excellence, and P 80,000.000 two Jurors Choice Awards for Merit plus a round trip all expense paid to Shanghai, China.

My experience in this competition gave me some lessons. That in every competition, there is always a loser and a winner. I experienced both- the frustration and the ecstasy. The previous PAA was a terrible one. I did my entry, a four by six feet painting in just one week. I knew I had a beautiful concept but the execution was hurriedly done. The result was a total disaster! Losing in a competition is just a part of the game. I could easily accept it. But seeing my half-baked painting among the finest works of art in the PAA receiving center was a nightmare for me. Nevertheless, I decided to forgive myself after that unforgettable event. That was two years ago.

This year, I have allotted a month for this endeavor. But thirty days turned out to be too short to work on a bigger five by six feet canvas especially if you are not a full time painter. There were also days that I didn’t feel like working. After I had refuelled my energy, some unavoidable circumstances and glittering disturbances cropped up forcing me to drop the brush every now and then. Despite all odds, I forced myself to go back to the canvas. Happy or sad, I must work. Peaceful or disturbed I must move forward. Morning or evening, or whatever available time there is, I must paint. In short, whatever happens, life must go on. I must finish what I have started.

The day came when I have to submit my masterpiece to the PAA receiving center. I was overjoyed because I beat the deadline. Everyone was thrilled to see each other’s entry. Seeing other artists’ works gave me a notion that the judges would have a hard time choosing the best ones. Nevertheless, my spirit was high because I was satisfied with my work. Whether the judges would pick my entry or not, deep inside, I believe I was already a winner for I was able to put everything I wanted in my painting. The trophy, the cash prize, and the recognition are additional bonuses. A month later, I received a phone call informing me that I was one of the winners. That was a moment of pure ecstasy. Truly, the old adage, “the quitter never wins” makes a lot of sense.

“And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when its seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things go wrong that you must not quit.”

Art, Design and Fashion are alive and kicking at the PWC of Davao! The 3 disciplines are encapsulated in the most comprehensive academic training, studio work and international exposure in PWC of Davao’s Helena Z Benitez School of Fine Arts & Culture. As a pioneering and only CHED-accredited Fine Arts degree-granting institution in Mindanao, PWC Fine Arts proved once again its stead with a number of local, national and international awards in a period of 4 months since school year 2009-2010 opened last June.

Second Year Painting major, Eugene Canadilla, just arrived from a 3-month scholarship in Indonesia. He was the only student awardee from the Philippines who made up a global pool of artists and artisans from 30 countries across seven continents. He completed training in Indonesian arts and culture from July 20 to October 22. He also performed in the Indonesia Channel 2009’s One World, Diversed Culture, One Destiny, held at the Mangkunegaran Palace-Solo, Jakarta, last October 18. During the 3-month stint, he was a painting and sculpture artist-in-residence in the island Bali, known for its well-preserved culture since the Madjapahit Empire. The exposure gave him also the opportunity to explore the different art centers of Indonesia.

For the second time, the PWC Fine Arts Program has been cited for its
Excellence in Curricular Program of Studies in Arts & Design during the 42^nd Shell National Students Painting Competition held at the Ayala Museum in Makati last October 20. Two Fashion Illustration students won top honors in the Watercolor Category. Besting over 500 entries nationwide, Ruby Jane Mascariñas clinched the 2^nd highest place and went home richer with P 35,000.00 cash, medal and trophy. Jun Rodino Artajo was hailed Honorable Mention with a cash prize, a trophy and a medal. The two were consistent national finalists of the competition together with another PWC Painting major, Julius Lu.

At the recently concluded PRC Licensure Examinations for Interior Designers, Batch 2008 graduate and FA President,
Che Alexi Ellson, was among the 119 successful examinees who hurdled the tight 50% national passing rate. PWC’s sterling performance and training in Interior Design is further validated by its 6 interior design alumni and 2 current painting students who were fielded to the United Arab Emirates for an all-expense paid 3-month Theme Park Design contract complemented with a monthly salary, overtime fees, and an opportunity to work further in overseas projects in Europe, Egypt and around the Middle East.

Last August, Fashion Illustration students ruled the Kaniyogan Accessory Design Competition by taking eight out of the ten top finalists and bagging the Best Casual and Formal Accessories and the Over-all Champion awards with more than P 20,000.00 in cash prizes. The winning streak continued in Tagum Durian Festival’s Accessory Design feat. John Glenn Rañon, a 1^st Year Fashion Illustration major, designed and produced on-the-spot a durian clutch bag to get the nod of the judges and romp away the Grand Prix trophy.

-by Emi Englis

Ask some people about the things to look forward to in Davao and the answers come readily to mind-The Philippine Eagle, the exotic Durian, the beautiful Waling-Waling, the majestic Mt. Apo, and though not really part of Davao City, the Pearl Farm Beach Resort would always be included in the long list–perhaps because this beautiful resort is just a few minutes away from Davao City.

Nestled on a secluded Island of Samal, facing the Davao Gulf, Pearl Farm Beach Resort is a beauty of its kind. Once a pearl farm, where thousands of white-lipped oysters were cultivated for their pink, white and gold pearls, the place is now a perfect getaway for people who want to unwind and commune with nature.  Aside from its crystal clear water, pristine white sand beaches, and lush greenery, the resort features architectural structure that is uniquely Filipino.  Designed by multi-awarded architect Francisco Manosa, now a national artist for architecture, this world renowned resort is a quintessential model of architectural ingenuity at one with nature.

The uniqueness of Manosa’s approach is not just about using indigenous materials in this project; it showcased a truly contemporary Filipino architecture in its form and essence.  The design itself is patterned after the traditional houses on stilts of seafaring tribes of Mindanao-the Samal and the Badjao.  Manosa cleverly integrated native materials such as bamboo, wood, rattan, nipa, and modern technology; thereby, transforming the place into a tourism landmark.  The result is a structural masterpiece that harnesses and amplifies Filipino culture and style in contrast to the colonial mentality which pervades so much in our society.

The entry sequence to Pearl Farm Beach Resort begins with the endearing Parola that never fails to capture the visitors’ attention.  Its roofs, which resemble a salakot, a traditional Philippine hat, evoke a unique tropical ambiance.   Ethnic-inspired design cottages line along the curve of the coastline.  The mixture of different indigenous materials used from roof to floor gives a cool and relaxing ambiance. Obviously, the careful planning, creative use of native materials, make the design which has its genesis from Mindanao’s rich tribal culture vibrant and distinct!

Careful attention was also given to designing not only in the outside appearance of the houses.  Arts and crafts from different ethnic tribes like Yakan, Tausug, Maranao, and Badjao punctuate the interiors of the different cottages.  This gives continuity of the plan and aesthetic pleasure.

All in all, Pearl Farm Beach Resort is an example of how indigenous materials and designs, deeply rooted in one’s heritage, can become a springboard of contemporary architecture-a skillful synthesis of innovation and tradition.  It transcends mere function.  And like a precious pearl that gives joy to many, this will serve as a catalyst for Filipino architects to design and create structures that do not only conform to the tenets of architecture or the lure of the western style and culture but above all, something that is truly unique-something that is Filipino.

At a time when Manila is rocked by controversies surrounding the questionable declaration of some personalities as National Artists, a Davao-born art talent quietly carved a niche among history’s greatest surrealists. His stuttering childlike speech, incompatible with his towering 6-foot height, sometimes amuses people. But today, Bienvenido Banez, Jr., towers all the more for achievements uncommon among Filipino artists.

Diagnosed with mild learning disability during childhood, Ben’s focus of attention has always been his art. Rightly so. In 2002, he won first place in the Asian Fellowship Painting Competition of the prestigious Vermont Studio Center launched from Vermont, USA. Last year, in New York City, where he based himself after his Vermont fellowship, he was the only Filipino among the more than seventy international, surreal visual artists featured in the grandest-ever birth anniversary celebration of John Milton and what is considered as the greatest English poem, his Paradise Lost.

Earlier, in 2004, the president and executive director of Williamsburg Art & Historical Center in Brooklyn, NYC, while viewing Ben’s painting, commented to a fashion photographer that Banez is the “greatest living surrealist from the Philippines.” This comment from contemporary Surrealism’s prime mover, Terrance Lindall, himself the organizer of Milton’s biggest birthday bash, may have been trivially said. But today it is qualified by another achievement in Banez’s career: his name, profile, and sample work recently are published in a German edition of “The International Encyclopedia of Fantastic, Surrealist, Symbolist, & Visionary Artists” or Lexikon Surreal for short authored by Gerhard Habarta. Thus, Bienvenido Bones Banez, again the only Filipino in the inventory, now appears along with Surrealism greats such as Salvador Dali, Andre Breton, Kris Kuksi, Francisco Goya, William Blake, Frida Khalo, Frank Frazetta, Pablo Picasso, Ernst Fuchs, Keith Wigdor, and Jon Beinart to name a few, in the same book.

In page 44 of Lexikon Surreal, his profile is printed in German. Translated into English, it reads:

BANEZ JR. BIENVENIDO BONES

(Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines, 1962- ) Filipino visionary, male, lives and works in the USA. Studied in the Ford Academy of the Arts in Davao City, Island of Mindanao; associate professor in the Philippine Women’s College-Davao. 2002 winner in the Asian Fellowship Painting Competition of the Vermont Studio Center, Vermont, USA., and has lived since in the USA.

What makes Banez a paradox among surrealists is his depiction of hellish conditions not as murky depths, but psychedelic sceneries where spectra of colors enthrall viewers. Figures-human, geometric or biomorphic curiosities-lose tactility and become translucent images and luminosities swirling, shimmering, or disintegrating in a world bereft of gravity.

Marvelous colors, resembling jewelry and precious stones, at closer look turn out to be viral, cellular infections, acid-chemical concentrates, or spreading volcanic lava, eating up human figures, corrupting techno systems, and contaminating the cosmos-the artist’s vision of bio-chemical warfare, pandemics, and natural catastrophe combined to destroy the Establishment. Neonlike brushstrokes snake through his canvases-flowing traffic that entangle on physical perversions and gets jammed on a plexus of human agony nestled on infernal flame.

Esthetically mesmerizing the colors are in a Banez canvas, the portrayed perversion and misery of humankind are as morbid and offensive to good taste. Apparently, the artist captures the viewer with chromatic wonder; then, in succeeding moments, pounces on his cognitive faculties with horrors of the wages of sin. This visual irony fits well with Surrealism as originally defined by spokesperson Andre Breton: Beauty must be convulsive, or nothing! This context, Banez earned his ticket to the theater of the absurd where Hieronymus Bosch and company once sat and dreamed.

It is notable that Banez, despite his psychedelic colors, is no drug abuser. His recent works indicate he evolved from common representational surrealism into surreal abstraction, his figures and images losing physical and material volume, reduced to astral constituency, something only the very rare eye of contemplation could see.

Achieving surrealism by abstraction is not common turf of surrealists down history. This is what Banez should look forward to and discover the other half of man’s nature created not to languish in murky infernal depths. It does not set him apart from his fellow Filipinos but pulls them up as artists universal as any other race.

by Phillip Somozo

My latest painting entitled "Bombings: Man's Cruelty Against Man"

In today’s modern world where opposite forces seem too show their might, massive killings happen worldwide. As I read on the newspapers and observed the poignant remains of this evil act, I couldn’t help but condemn all those monsters that seem to take pleasure in their killing spree. How and why could man develop such gluttony for brutality?

After a terrible explosion, bodies scattered around like falling debris. This is shown in my painting rendered in bloody red. The center piece is a mother desperately holding the lifeless body of her child amidst the structures wrecked by a powerful explosion.

This distressing act sows fear and hatred to every individual regardless of race and social status whose dream is to live peacefully. And while the perpetrators (represented by a man on the upper right corner) remain heartless and unmoved by the effects of their wickedness, Bombings: Man’s Cruelty Against Man will remain a universal problem.

It’s already 8:39 in the evening and I haven’t eaten my dinner yet.  I used to have my dinner at 6:00pm but due to the many deadlines I need to catch up, I forgot to take some food.  My small and big intestines are already complaining so I must go to the nearest cafeteria.  I live alone and don’t cook my food.  To prepare a meal for myself is more time consuming.

Inside the food house, a public utility driver happens to share a table with me.  While waiting for his order, he says “Eat, drive, eat, then drive again…  This life sucks!”  The food almost burst out from my mouth.  I could not help but smile on what I’ve heard.  There is some truth and some humor on his statement.  Many times in our lives, we feel as if we are on a rocking chair, always moving yet we remain on the same place.  Worse, when we feel tired and sick of the rat race.  There must be a way out. But where? There must be a good reason to live aside from working and eating.  And what is that reason?  There is some humor in his statement.  Yes.  I smiled thinking about my life too.  Paint, teach, think, do some other things, and eat, and paint again.  And the sequence is repeated over and over and over again.  At least, mine is a wider cycle.  But I sometimes get tired and feel bored about life.  Like now.  Maybe because of burn out.  Or maybe because I haven’t reached my goals yet despite the efforts.  Thank heavens!  His words enlighten me. I am not alone.  I am not totally pathetic.  And I am human.  I hate to compare because after all, life is never been fair.  Sad but true.  There is always someone who is fortunate and unfortunate than you.  When I say this, I think of those who are living in mansions and palaces … and those living in shanties.  Those who are blessed with all the abundance in life.  And those who have not eaten their meal yet.  Zooming in to physical and mental attributes of every individual, I wonder how it would feel to be born deaf, mute or blind? Or how would it feel to have an IQ of a genius plus a look of a superstar?

They say life is what you make it? But what if you can’t make the most of your life? Will you complain or smile at life? How about you? How’s life been treating you? Or shall I say, how are you treating life?

Excuse me; I have to paint now…