My Museum

My dad happened to find a withered coconut shell one time he was out walking to church and his ingenuity kicked in. He took it home, cut it in half, put a latch on it, polished it, finished it up with varnish and turned it into an odd shaped mini chest with the verse Matt. 6: 18-19. I loved it the first time I saw it and asked him if I could have it. So now, the “once” dull, dry, worthless coconut shell being kicked around in the street by passersby has become the keeper of my bead earrings, a masterpiece from a creative mind.

I finished my first collection of “hand painted” cards order and ready to be shipped across the ocean. Personalized and hand painted cards don’t have to be tucked away in envelopes forever. You can frame a good sized one (an idea I got from a friend, Belinda) and put it on your wall or order a set of four with a theme, frame them and line them up on your wall (one row or two on top and two below). They’d make an otherwise boring wall into an interesting, lively one. You can also purchase them, frame them and give away as gifts. Remember, they’re hand painted not mass produced, they’re signed by the artist which would make them priceless treasures.

There’s nothing like giving something you made to that special person in your life, whether it’s family or a dear friend and there’s nothing like receiving one also. I’ve given away ten of my paintings so far, to families and friends near and far. Each is originally conceptualized and unique. So far, I’ve not made any dual copy of any of my works. I’ll be featuring them here now and then starting with this one: for my special nanna. A painting of a “vinta” (colorful sailboats) from the south of the Philippines. Item: GIFT Owner: NANNA Location: ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA Year: 2007

1. Practice -The secret of perfecting your craft is practice, practice and more practice. I started with making cards before I seriously began painting. I’d give my finished works (“Thank you and get-well” cards to friends at Christmas time and birthdays. I just kept sketching, drawing, painting; trying different mediums (soft pastel, color pencils, oil paints, water color etc.) until I found the one that best suit me. I also experimented with different canvasses (paper, cloth, wood). 2. Patience and perseverance - At first, your work may look pre-schoolish (unless you were born gifted but still, that’s rare), eventually you’ll learn to mix colors; use brushes and develop your own style and ways of painting your favorite subject. Don’t give up! 3. Learning from others - There are many painting sites on the net now that offers free membership and lessons as well as video tutorials. Most of them are community sites for both newbies and veteran artists, and the professional ones are u...

14x15 inches soft pastel on cloth canvass Owner: ME Location: Philippines

I’ve always been on a scout for cheaper ways to paint; cheaper materials to work with. In my country, there are talented children (even in my Sunday school) who would love to paint and get training but can’t afford the cost so I’m continuously experimenting to find everyday materials I can use for practice painting until I find the one that won’t cost me much BUT at the same satisfy me too. Although paper is cheaper here, the supply and choices is limited and personally, I do prefer cloth canvasses. A few days ago, I started a flower basket painting on a “sanforized” fabric. Don’t know if this material has another name that it’s more known for but tailors and dressmakers use it. It’s cheaper here and can also carry layers of pastel. Blending is easy too using linseed oil and drying is faster. Well, this experiment is still in its early stages so no guarantee of anything yet. I just wanted to share what I’ve been up to concerning my most loved hobby.

This was my first work on cloth canvass using soft pastels and pastel pencils. a 14 x 17 inches piece. Location: My house Owner: ME Date: 2007