The Life and Art of a Filipino Painter: Balancing Creativity and Family
Overview
In this insightful interview, a Filipino painter shares her experiences of balancing her passion for art with family responsibilities. She discusses her creative process, the challenges of painting while managing a household, and her reflections on Filipino culture and identity through her artwork.
Key Points
- Daily Routine: The artist typically starts painting at 9 AM when her husband leaves for work, dedicating her mornings to her art until lunch. She enjoys painting for herself, even when not preparing for exhibitions.
- Preference for Solitude: She prefers to paint alone, finding it distracting when others watch her work. She recalls enjoying smaller art groups but has since found larger gatherings overwhelming.
- Artistic Influences: While she appreciates various artists, she strives to maintain her unique style and resist external influences that could compromise her creativity. This is similar to the themes explored in Exploring Anita Magai Hall's 'Three Women with Baskets': A Feminist Perspective, where the importance of individual artistic expression is highlighted.
- Cultural Reflections: The painter expresses a deep connection to Filipino culture, particularly the dignity and pride of Filipino women, which she aims to capture in her work. This resonates with the discussions in Challenging Beauty Standards: The Impact of Skin Whitening Commercials on Self-Perception, where cultural identity and self-perception are examined.
- Future Aspirations: She looks forward to continuing her painting journey, focusing on personal fulfillment rather than commercial pressures, despite having numerous commissions to fulfill. This aligns with the broader conversation about the role of creativity in personal development, as discussed in The Importance of Creativity in Education.
- Art as a Gift: The artist feels fortunate to have the ability to create and finds joy in sharing her work with others, believing it enriches her life and the lives of those who appreciate her art.
FAQs
-
What time does the artist usually start painting?
The artist typically starts painting at 9 AM when her husband leaves for work. -
Does she prefer to paint alone or with others?
She prefers to paint alone, as she finds it distracting when others watch her work. -
How does she feel about her commissions?
While she has many commissions, she aims to paint for herself and not feel pressured by them. -
What cultural aspects does she focus on in her art?
She focuses on the dignity and pride of Filipino women, reflecting their emotions and experiences in her work. -
How does she view her artistic journey?
She sees her artistic journey as a gift and feels lucky to enjoy her work, believing it makes her a better person. -
What challenges does she face as a female artist?
She mentions the difficulty of balancing family responsibilities with her passion for painting, unlike male artists who can often isolate themselves to work. -
Will she continue painting in the future?
Yes, she intends to continue painting as long as she can, as she never gets bored with it.
the male artist can tell the wife don't disturb me close But Me No I mean I I keep a house I cannot tell my husband
don't disturb me oh my goodness I only paint when he lees [Musika]
[Musika] Ah so if you start painting how how early do you start to paint usually n9
nine when my husband goes to office and then you keep on painting until you're C for lunch lunch then I eat 5 minutes
then I rest maybe half an hour I read mhm and then I never sh So you paint even if you're not
preparing for an exhibition Oh yes but that's it when I that's why sometimes I I like it because I'm painting for
myself you see ah I see But then somebody comes and then insist on buying it or I had promised people Yeah I see
do you get disturbed if you're painting and somebody's watching you Ayan I'd Rather not but sometimes i don't mind
but I don't like it you prefer to be alone Yes because I can and and Uh the Saturday group
go to the yes i've been there I was enjoying that but then it became so big people from outside became social and
people watching you as if you're G you know like some sort of attraction drawing ah I see Yeah too many I don't
want But before you used to attend some of the Sessions Yes before when we were only about 10 mhm mhm 10 and you used to
do I think you the sketching some of my those two of Those Were take done in in those ah see m mhm but then I get Nelly
here the whole day mhm I lunch with her Then she is for me i enjoy that mm alone then you know do you socialize with
artists or i do but not not now not very often I'm sorry I they have been calling me for this meetings for the mask Ball
for the artist Ball mm I was able to attend only one m because we we have been here a month and we have been mm so
busy with social sure Yeah so I couldn't mm but you find Hong Kong conducive to
painting because because I am alone my daughters get so so you know upset they want me to make
friends No I said I have enough friends ah I see is this the one oh They're beautiful I have enough friends
and I like it I can control my that's true That's This was done in a Saturday group ah see this one was done
in a but you see Hong Kong Prince beautifully Fantastic very good This is the one in the folio Yes this and I have
one two of this mm the're beautiful one because I thought like this you know
people can even Learn from it that's how I used to draw in From This are quick sketches or yes well
mhm quick One whole morning for this for there were several I just chose what I
thought would be but these two were done in in the Ah Two the
beautiful painting I love working with pencil don't you what pencil is because it's it's free you know m i like pencil
rs so I'm making this series of baskets Just for my own
music how is this Uh reproduced then I don't know I should really have I don't know why I didn't get the I should get
the but they told me This one They don't use any transparent you know like the colored
one for the Christmas card they get the transparencies This is They said they use a a cardboard a cardboard Yeah for
After that they throw it away mm so I was trying to get it is so good for
distance you get really quality materials and not too expensive even mhm So this one we decided to sell it
cheaply because I said Uh so every even the young young people can collect also some words that's true That's true so as
long as I got what I spend That's all mhm mhm May we didn't So what are your other projects
for the future to conclude The Interview right now I always said that the next painting is the best my I want to
believe because I'm I'm very critical of my work really so I sometimes I hate going to homes and looking at my work
because i start to see wide defects in it and I'm so tempted to say give it back to me I want to correct it but then
I said Why should I since That's how I felt then maybe now I feel differently but so I'm I'm looking forward to well
Just to be able to paint for I said pain for myself Although they they're really orders that I have to comply No I don't
want to feel for home I just want it I it It's Mine Ah so but this are Actually commissions Yes not commissions But you
know like you pain for me you have put in my list put in the list m so I have about 50 of those like that I don't know
how you manage to keep up with your orders yes so that's why I don't want any exhibits this time m because I'll be
very busy I'm also have some two daughters giving having babies so I so I'm still a mother and a wife so you
know that makes man salad told me once you will never be a good painter great painter why I said because you are
married you have many yes and because the the artist the male artist can tell the wife don't disturb me close But Me
No I mean I I keep a household so I know you cannot tell everyone to keep off I cannot tell my husband don't disturb me
ha Oh my goodness I only paint when He Lives ah I see You Do you have any woman painters in
particular oh in a favorite For instance European Europe American Maybe Yes I I like so much I ALS forget her name
there's some French French French merica casat Mary no no i don't Yes it's good but don't like it's to childish no Mary
m there's one that's always forget her name she's French woman French modern Sonya delone no no what sort of work
yeah and That's I like it you know this lot of Sunshine lot of sunlight I can remember But you know I I
really don't don't look Just Like In cran Brook you you Learn from from the works No when you have a problem but
Actually like even modern Sometimes I don't want to Remember I go to Museum ESP Japan they have very good exhibits m
we go to modern Museum I enjoy it After that unless sometimes It gives you an idea but i don't want to
be influenced too much you know ah I see because if you influence Sometimes you you I think you destroy your own
creativeness no So you try to resist influenza resist influence I'm not too keen
on on I look I enjoy Look and enjoy it but I don't really try to remember so even
name sometimes embarrass I don't except melang know the really good artist mm like and sometimes like I also feel
frustrated because sometimes there's some big names and like the buffet you know mhm Which I really think I don't
enjoy It's a good must be He must be good Yeah Or or even picasso I I still feel like i like his blue period you
know and his drawings and But some of his works I like the colors I just don't see how I don't understand you don't
respond to it I see I don't respond to it Uh One final question It's Uh do about this idea of having a Philippine
painting I mean I think during your earlier days at the pag in the 50s or something like that
Yes I had exhibit there one show I see you know All These p are wondering What the Filipino painting is all about mm So
what were your personal thoughts on this I never thought of it I just felt like I should paint Even though I have left the
Philippines and what I've always felt that I was a philipina and I only one that's even now even Hong Kong i
wouldn't dare paint the Chinese I don't really know what the Chinese feels I see So that's why one thing that
I really appreciate that somebody said that my women you would feel like you would rever them because even if They're
poor they have some dignity and I feel like the the filipin woman is even how she is has a pride has that you know
that Look of you know yung sariling what you call that like she can stand on her own own like she is said Why This women
you can reve them they feel like there something Well I feel like that I know the Filipino woman because I know how I
feel Filipino woman must feel like me you know that you go to the market She may be poor but she has a lot of pride
you know or or the people in the especially the Ilocano the province Like My maid My maid Once I told her and she
was so proud say why don't you get married say should a boyfriend What Keeping The Wedding because she told me
she that married Oh she said because my parents want a house carabo and a piece of land and she there is why She said my
daughter is getting married she will not just Get Married without some you know and she was My maid she was a poor girl
but she had the family had that pride MM for the women that their daughter was something Precious that's true and I
feel that that's the the feeling of a Filipino woman Of course I'm not talking of the modern I'm talking of the country
country girl So that's why I felt like I cannot pain a Chinese I don't know what the Chinese feels besid the Chinese are
always so so correct it's the sitting and and They're very careful Chinese people are very careful of the Emotions
They don't burst out like if fip They don't make gestures They don't do and I like the Filipina because she makes
gestures she you know she's very articulate you know don't you feel the they laugh they Oh that's one thing I
laughter I have painted that many times and I know how they feel because I am one you know I even if I live abroad
I still feel i know how a Filipina feels or reacts what has the painting given you in terms of Uh of you know as a
human being Oh I think I feel I'm very lucky in that respect I think because I really enjoy it you know I really I
don't know what I feel I Just enjoy it you think you're a better person for having been given this gift Oh yes I
think so besides I feel that um I feel so happy when somebody likes my work m enjoy it That's when ever i
they say they like it and I feel happy that done something that um People Like no mhm That's more than
anything and I am happy that I have something to do that I enjoy mhm because that's what i kid sometimes people work
so hard and they are so hate their work and Why do we have to do this and you know but I said how lucky that God gave
me This work that I enjoy mm I really enjoy it so you think you'll be painting as long as you can I think so I think I
because I never get bored M and I think Uh It's nice because you see beauty where others
don't That's [Musika] [Musika]
true m
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