Artists Studiocapade

It’s been 20 years since I last posted 🙂 .

Was busy with curatorial work and other art related engagements.

Work is pleasure and pleasure is work.

As Curator wannabe..

It’s my hobby jumping from one artist’s studio to another to have my picture taken LOL! of course I’m kidding!

Seriously, I go to artists studios for meetings, photo-shoot and interviews for upcoming shows in the art gallery where I work, or sometimes  friends would drag me or perhaps just hanging around. In the course of this overwhelming nature of work of a curator wannabe, to my delight I get to peek in the spaces where the artists spend/spent minutes, hours, long hours, days,months and years  passionately creating their art pieces. Most of the artists are more than willing to share the environment where great works emerged from.

Me gatecrashing their bat caves..is an honor. I can proudly say, I am a witness and part of the 22nd century Philippine Art History 🙂 wink!wink!  :-).

Lets take a peek!

Printmaker/Visual Artist Fil Delacruz’s Studio, he calls his studio”Bahay Sining” is Spanish Mexican inspired high ceiling house that can accommodate humongous  & long artworks. Mostly made of bricks, columns, and windows with wrought iron. it is very well ventilated. This is one of the most charming artist’s studio I have ever been too. Plus the accommodating couple who live there. Makes me  want to ask them, can I spend vacations here sometime?:-)

Don’t get me wrong he’s not the cousin of Picasso they just look alike…:-) One of the most prolific abstract artist in town, showing me his studio- Raul Isidro-he’s from Calbayog, Samar,Philippines. His very well organised studio/storage is at the upper part of his residence. Good to have a well organised wife 🙂 See?behind successful men are great women! You have to agree with me Mr. Isidro..:-) . But Oh how I wish i can afford his artwork.

The brushes that painted a thousand abstracts, Raul’s brushes lined and ready for the next canvas.

Edgar Doctor’s Studio, so full of nostalgia & character I must say, like the artist. Going to his studio means you get to eat nice food that he cooked, and even sharing how he prepared the food. Although he is not based in Manila anymore (he  resides in New York City) but he make sure that his studio is “well kept” 🙂  by his daughter. His abstracts are just  as capturing, making me salivate by the mere sight of his art pieces.

Yes..it is “well kept” even the spiders 🙂 almost everything did not move since he migrated to the US, including works by artists friends on the wall :-), But he can locate any thing in this room..an organised chaos.

Ephraim Samson’s Studio. He was away from the country for so long, 2 years ago he decided to come back and continue making  art in his own country. Ephraim is engaging in new style and colors like the one in the background. But boy , if you see his portraits..My eyes bled with envy when he showed us his portfolio covering years of making portraits for the rich and famous, politicians, expatriates ,fellow artists and commoners.

Ephraim make studies in full color and design. I forgot to ask whether he is archiving the studies.

Nemiranda’s (Nemesio Miranda) studio is at the second floor of his Nemiranda House in Angono, where he renders the mythical  creatures beyond our wildest imagination on his canvases.The house wowed me. Where he revealed- that most of the posts and wood that we see are more than 100 year old. He bought them from the parish priest when Angono Church’s old structure was being dismantled for renovation. He noticed truckloads of old beams coming out of the church yard, upon learning that the priest  then was selling the old wood to 2nd hand junk shop,( Nostalgic about the old church)  the artist negotiated and was able to salvaged the remaining pieces from the beams of the church ceiling.Thus, the Nemiranda House-made of weather worn wood, age older than his great grandfather.

 

Sometimes I gate crash.. Like this one. While with other artists, who are going to  Rolly Ypon’s Studio, I  Indulged myself to join. Sabit sabit din minsan 🙂 Sure felt like I was transported to the studio of Rembrandt Van Rijn or some European artist .  I was only able to say WOW! as in caps lock upon entering his door.His works are soooooooooooooo overwhelming. If we were not in a hurry, he was asking me to pose for a portrait. Gosh, sayang! 🙂

Roy Veneracion’s Studio. Yes, he is the father of actor Ian, but he made his name in the art world even before Ian was born. So…chill 🙂 His studio is a breather. Located in the middle of a lush vegetation” far from the madding crowd type” in the far flung Antipolo. You can see cows munching grass nearby while having coffee. He and his wife Susan are like in a hermitage here according to them. I would not mind, with beauty in and out of the studio. you could not ask for more. Just make art, breath, eat, sleep and relax.

Alwin Reamillo’s Studio is located in the middle of what we call the Las Pinas subdivision maze 🙂 The studio is so much the reflection of the owner, no frills. As a conceptual artist, his work space is so full of discourse, cerebral, angst, hope, freedom  and revolution (Nose bleed!! Alwin!!but empowering. Plus coffee in a tea cup. Shown with Alwin here is Ethel my curatorial team partner.

Alwin is also  one of the coming home Filipino Artists, a resident of Western Australia for the longest time, he reclaimed his Filipino status, he is now “hafbreed” 🙂 dividing time between two citizenships , he is  actively sharing his art to the Filipino people (again) since 2008 . Spell TEMPERAMENT, that’s Alwin and his studio.:-)

…And because I work for a famous visual artist,my nieces also are able to join me in my studiocapade sometimes. Phyllis Zaballero’s Studio is the sum of them all. 🙂 of course she’s my boss! Her new studio is also the reflection of who the artist is, well  mannered, astute and bewitching, well organised files and rich archives. If you are familiar with her art works, most of the details in her 35 years of creating art are inside this studio. (Yes, relatively new, because she just moved here from her Sy-Quia Studio in Malate, which I love more than this 🙂 sorry PZ, I’m in-love with your Sy-Quia Apt.)

But what I love here is the electronic easel grid (elevator principle) So that she don’t need to climb up and down, roll and unroll canvas anymore while painting.

So there.. Getting high with the artists studios. Indeed, work is  pleasure 🙂 and definitely more to come in the next posts..more exhibit more studios.

Until next time. 🙂