Life is a Canvas

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.”