Advertisements for Ourselves

Toottee Chanco-Pacis, our fellow Baguio Aquarelle Society member, invited us to do an on-the-spot painting session at her recently cleared greenhouse in Happy Homes. My teacher Norman Chow always likes to visit Toottee as his form of relaxation. Her cottage seems straight out of a storybook . Inside are her collection of miniature tea things, strawberry figurines, including a dining table that she handpainted with strawberry fruits and vines. Firsttime visitor Roland Bay-an, who doesn’t do flowers and similar still lifes as his subjects, was inspired to paint a bundle of strawberries for the Strawberry Lady herself who fed us pancit with the distinct and delicious aftertaste of Chinese sausage (she gets her supply from Sunshine Supermarket although she said U-need’s is also worth a try; Norman swears by the savory sausages in Santa Cruz Manila). This was our society’s first get-together after the opening of our ongoing exhibition “Baguiong-Baguio” at The Manor of Camp John Hay. A recent visitor there, Marilyn Cayabyab, commented that my paintings had wit, character and looked whimsical. Would that her words translate to sales, Toottee and I and the rest imagined. I’m posting my painting “Get Me to the Church on Time” and Toottee’s what else but “Strawberries.” Photos by ELMER CHRISTIAN DAUIGOY