Posy of Poinsettias

The petals of the Christmas flowers are falling at a fast rate. But when they were at their reddest, they silently compelled me to paint them. And paint I did late last year and the year before. A number of works in acrylic had been given away as presents. I still have a stash, and my painting teacher Norman Chow and partner Rolly Fernandez selected the ones fit for a solo exhibition, mainly still lifes, at the Cafe by the Ruins. I also did a series on cats. Hence, the title "Cats in My Fruit Salad."

So here's a sneak peak. Show opens on March 16 at 5:30 p.m. and runs for a month. Puwede bang bumati? Thank you, Fifi Perez and Jenny Carino, for your help. Photo by ELMER KRISTIAN DAUIGOY

Here We Are Again

“Baguio Pay Laeng” is the title of the Baguio Aquarelle Society’s second exhibition opening on Feb. 8, this Sunday, at 4 p.m. at the Roman Ozaeta Wing of the Baguio Country. Club. It should be subtitled “The Passion of Baboo” because if it weren’t for Baboo Mondonedo’s leadership and love for the watercolor medium, we the members would be content in taking up the brush only when the spirit moves us.

But as Toottee Chanco-Pacis said, “I work best under pressure.” So that was how we found ourselves Wednesday afternoon with teacher Norman Chow supervising us—working on our paintings under pain of deadline but managing to enjoy ourselves.

I finished three watercolors that day and had them rushed for framing the next. Let’s see how our viewers take to our new set of odes to Baguio.

Here's "Toottee's Anthuriums," a still life I made based on one of thousands of objects in my friend's house. Photo by ELMER KRISTIAN DAUIGOY