Happy Birthday Tatay!!!

Happy Birthday to my father. Today, he would have been 93 years old. He was a great father, a good provider and protector, a wise counsel. He loved my mother very much. He loved me and my sisters and brothers. He had a great sense of humor. He smiled a lot. He joked with us. He was a very gentle man. The memory of him is still my succor. I love you Tatay. Tsup!

This is what I am drawing for Illustration Friday's theme "Lesson". It's taking forever! I just started yesterday. Squiggle, squiggle, squiggle...

C.P. Adorio on the Behance Network

C.P. Adorio on the Behance Network

Good morning friends! It is Friday! I love Fridays especially if I am not on call during the weekends. Today is special. I get to wear blue jeans to work today. I am here to tell you that for the first time, I do not have any drawing or painting project in progress, I am able to share with you! That's a first!!!

Also a first, yesterday I decided to join the Behance Network. Easy-peasy. Just ask to be invited by giving them a glimpse of your work and you will receive an invitation. So what are you waiting for? Go.

I will also be posting my collections on my Behance profile page.

Sucks Being Swift

Collocalia inexpectata. Edible-nest swiftlet. India to Indochina, Philippines, East Indies. 4 -4 1/2 in.

How sucky can it get?

"The Grey and Grey-rumped swiftlets of Malaya and Indochina make their nests entirely of saliva. These are the top nests of commerce. This centuries-old Oriental gastronomic treat is still a thriving business and nests worth forty thousand pounds or more are harvested each year. The best nests come from the large seaward-facing limestone caverns in coastal Indochina, where the tiny birds breed in tremendous numbers.. Native gatherers use bamboo ladders and long poles to knock the nests down from the cave wall and ceilings as the birds finish them. (What the...???!!!) The birds have enough saliva to build a second nest of pure hardened fluid, but their third one is apt to be mixed with impurities (Well, yeah, who can sustain the onslaught?!) and is of lower commercial value. The clean first nests are marketed as they are, and command highest prices. The others are processed to remove the impurities, and the protein-rich gelatin is rehardened into chips which Chinese merchants sell as "dragon's teeth." Birds of the World, Oliver Austin

When I was 19 years old, a Chinese gentleman who tried to court me wanted me to meet his mother. He invited me to go with him to Iloilo but first we had dinner at a fancy Chinese restaurant. Oh yes, we drove all the way from Antique where I was serving my mandatory rural health nursing internship and where he had his business entities. He brought a gun with him saying it was for protection in case we got stranded in the mountainous roads along the way. So I had this vision that bandits, rebels or terrorists will stop us along the way and then he will save the day by protecting me from all of them and then I will be grateful and we will live happily ever after...NOT! He eventually proposed to me even though we never even held hands. The closest I was with him was when we drove together. He was a gentleman, though, and he was the brother of a very good friend of mine. The trip to Iloilo was smooth and peaceful. Besides I always had this feeling of invincibility because I was a nurse and during the martial law years I thought rebels did not kill nurses...yes, I was idealistic, naive and may have also been stupid. But I digress.

So we went to the restaurant. I don't know if he was trying to impress me by ordering so much food!!! My goodness it was a feast for just the two of us, so much waste and at that time, I literally nibbled like a bird. For heaven's sake, I only weighed 90 pounds! But he was a big heavy man, quite unusual for a Chinese, especially a Chinese in the Philippines. Anyway, I remember being served bird's nest soup. It was delicious. I thought that it was called bird's nest because they added little hard boiled quail eggs in the broth! Now that I know, I feel like my stomach is full of spit and this happened ... many years ago!

It finally happened. This drawing took forever to finish because I am finally bored with squiggling, but it may change tomorrow, even later today.

Refrain

There is a moment
So gratifying
When everything in the world is just right
When peace reigns
And my heart is content.

(Repeat Refrain)

Ces Skye

Inday Leah, I love you.

I am praying...

Tsup!

Mail!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of mailing these packets to two special people.

To Jack Foster who is the lucky winner for the drawing of the 9"x12" pen and ink illustration of the Quercus glauca. It comes with a certificate of authenticity. Congratulations Jack!

Bella Sinclair and I started the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami relief fundraising on April 6th, 2011. To date, we have received direct donation receipts to the American Red Cross Japan Tsunami disaster relief totaling $975.00. Thank you very much to everyone who generously donated and encouraged us in our endeavor.

To my fellow nursing college alumni and friend who made us reach our goal closer by immediately responding to my offer. Thank you dearest Dahlia!!! It was my pleasure to prepare your package of the three double matted ladies! A big smile is etched on my face!

Each double-matted big-haired lady was meticulously illustrated by yours truly on 2.5"x3.5" Bristol Board, then mounted on 8"x10" double mats and finally wrapped on clear protective envelopes. All materials used are acid-free, lignin-free, archival and museum quality. Finally, each was wrapped on semi-gloss Japanese kimono design gift wrapping papers. Each original matted art card illustration comes with a certificate of authenticity. The package also contained a print of Bella's Daruma Doll and an original Quercus glauca art card illustration.

Did I tell you that I secretly wish I work in a gift-wrapping and shipping department?

So where does that lead us? To the $975.00 mark; $25.00 short of the goal I set. So are you willing to take a chance to part with your last $25.00 and give it to the American Red Cross for me?

Say, if you are alone and lost and you see me and I say to you "Come with me" and lead you to this passageway, will you trust me?

This is the last time I am going to offer a surprise.
One donor.
$25.00
unless you are feeling generous.
This is your last chance :)



Go to Bella's blog and see how you can help.

Why Art Became Ugly

"What is it?" Epsilon 1

It is "Hidden Scream" or "The Ghost Of Bordatella." 30" x 40" Oil on canvas.

"Uhm. Okay, if you say so." Epsilon 1

"Okay! Okay! It is just a base coat!"

"Of course, the major works of the twentieth-century art world are ugly." Stephen Hicks

Read This:

Why Art Became Ugly

Lies And Liars

Good morning!!! I woke up at 4:45 AM today to work on another project implementation. So, as I sit here doing some audits, I want to share this from one of my morning briefings:

Liars and Lies Reporters, Democrats, and even some Republicans have begun repeating an infectious lie in the prelude to the debt ceiling debate. Secretary of Treasury Tim Geithner started it off and it has been repeated by reporters in print, on radio, and on television, including Fox News. The lie is very simple: a failure to raise the debt ceiling will cause a default on American debt. This is utterly and categorically a lie. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. Please click here for the rest of the post.

Passover...

I LOVE MY NURSING COLLEGE CLASSMATES AND FRIENDS!!!
Every time I hear from an old classmate or friend,
I feel like I am 16 years old again!!!

Unfinished drawing... Guess what!!! I am studying steam punk art. Ugh. They all look the same. Gear and cogs and screws, air balloons, zippers, laces, ties, dismembered extremities, amputations and stumps, flying ships and boats. I am beginning to understand why themes are so recurring among steam punk artists. I am drawing a steam punk image. I will see if I can cessify it.

To Mita: I am so relieved you did not delete your blog. I could not access it earlier and it made me so sad!!! Next time you change your settings, please tell me! Tsup!

Art Forward No.1

First Snowfall. Pen and ink on 2.5"x3.5" Bristol Board

Art Forward is a process where you create "art" for the first three people who agree to do the same for the first three people who visit their blog, so the chain keeps getting longer and thicker. Rubin gave me an Art Card (ACEO). So now it is my turn to create something for Audrey, Malka and Caroline. This is my first installment. Last year, I asked Audrey if I can draw in pen and ink, the photograph she took of the first snowfall.

Original Ces's Art For Sale, Hurry While Supplies Last!

Update 4/24/2011
SOLD!!!

ENTIRE SET RESERVED!!! YAY!!!!!!!
Thank you Dahl! :)



Housewife
Double Matted Hair 1

Young Woman
Double Matted Hair 2

Low Class Prostitute
Double Matted Hair 3

YES! Can you believe I am selling my art? These are original art cards measuring 2.5"x3.5" on 8"x10" double mats. These are from my personal collection. These are not quick art cards nor prints, nor reproductions. These are original Ces's Art Cards (CAC). Each card took more than 4 hours to draw, yes, even if I am a quick draw, they still took a long time because I was meticulous in my execution. Oh, a side story, after I drew these cards, I was admitted to the hospital. While I was at the hospital, I decided to ink the backgrounds on two of the cards. If you want to know, I am well, thank you.

These cards are rendered in micro pigment ink on Bristol boards set on museum quality double mats. All are archival, acid-free, lignin free, museum quality materials. They will come with a certificate of authenticity and wrapped in a protective acid-free clear envelope and then wrapped in 8x10 Kimono Japanese design pattern giftwrap envelope. All rights reserved by me.

They are available for $25.00/ea (double matted but not framed) or $70.00 for the set of 3, payable in direct donation receipt from the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief. Shipping is free.

Please email me to reserve your choice. I need to receive your electronic receipt from the Red Cross on the same day. First Come, First Served.

Thank you very much.

Bicycle Ride

Rjoald takes his little woodpecker for a bicycle ride. Pen and ink on 6"x6" Bristol Board

Just a little doodle this morning in lieu of coffee. I stopped drinking coffee two weeks ago, and believe me, it is torture to be in the kitchen where I love to sit in the morning. It is even more difficult because I am the one brewing the coffee. When I grind the beans I can smell the aroma. My brain somersaults. It really wants to protest but the jury says No-no-no-no!!! Just writing about this makes me fidget. Okay!

An explanation for the elementary style doodle above: When I was in elementary school, I always got in trouble for spelling the words in picture style, like spelling boy by putting eyes, nose, mouth and ears on the letter O, or putting a roof over the the letter H and and turning the letter O into an igloo for the word House. Once, my second grade teacher made me lay my hands on the desk and she beat them with a bamboo whip. Whack! Whack! Whack! I tolerated the pain but not the humiliation.

So wherever you are Mrs. Britos, LOOK AT HOW I AM SPELLING BICYCLE NOW AND YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! I should have told my mother that you beat my hands.

On a more pleasant note, I always wanted to say THANK YOU to Andrew Finnie, Lahksmita Indira and Bella Sinclair for drawing me with my favorite things - oak and acorns.

Have a blessed Easter everyone.

Longevity and Impermanence of Society

The Crane, The Turtle, The Firefly and the Bee. Archival pen and ink on 9"x12" Bristol board. Double-click to enlarge.

This is my arabesque rendition of the crane, a symbol of longevity in China, Korea and Japan. The crane is the equivalent of 0ne thousand years, however, the turtle is the equivalent of ten thousand years. So, if a crane stands on top of the turtle that is even better, except for the turtle, perhaps. She looks better without the burden. The bee is a symbol of human society. Although the firefly is a symbol of light, it also stands for impermanence. I chose the stately Sarus Crane which breeds across southeastern Asia from India to the Philippines, in arabesque squiggles, of course..


I modeled my bee (above, can you see it?) from Arija's photograph. I also drew Bella Sinclair's ferns, the one found on her "Prehistoric" drawing. Many times, I incorporate someone I love, admire in my drawings. The Coccinella septempunctata is a remembrance of my Mother. There are also enneads in this drawing.


Oh, I almost forgot. You know, one of the pen brands I use for drawing is made by Sakura. I actually looked at the brand icon several times, which is a cherry blossom, while I was drawing the flowers.

Hair

Hair. Pen and Ink on 2.5"x3.5" Bristol Board

Last weekend, while I was studying Edo Dynasty Japanese art, I stumbled upon Utamaro, whose portraits of women with classic hairdo interested me. He painted a low class prostitute picking her teeth with a little toothpick. He also drew honorable and dignified women. Frankly, they all looked the same to me. I think that is true of a lot of artists who draw portraits. They all seem to look alike to me. Only the clothes and the hair or the background and the pose differ. The only thing I did not like about his portraits was the issue of the women with pudgy, rounded or moon faces. In my experience, except for the sumo wrestlers, I have not met a fat Japanese. So I set to draw my women the way I see them. After drawing these, I sort of understand where and how that hair gets set.

Not Your Anime Or Manga Illustrator

I have concluded that I cannot draw Totoro. My Totoros look like a bear or a cat or an owl (see below). I studied Japanese art last week, mostly focusing on Hokusai, Hiroshige and Utamaro. I think that if I went to art school, it would be to learn how to be a print maker like Hokusai or Hiroshige. Below are ATC-sized drawings of mostly scenery inspired by Hokusai and Hiroshige, rendered in my own style. I call this series "How to Squiggle in Japanese."

I decided to add a little color to the above cards...

I prefer them matted. I hope the two drawings below, middle and right, reached their destinations safely :

Snow Mountain. Archival ink on 2.5"x3.5" Bristol Board on 8"x10" mat.
Down The Hill. Archival ink on 2.5"x3.5" Bristol Board on 8"x10" mat.

Goodbye Edo. Archival ink on 2.5"x3.5" Bristol Board on 8"x10" mat

A Journey Outside The Playground

A Journey Outside The Playground. Pen and ink on 9"x12" 300-lb. Arches watercolor block

Thank you very much to everyone who contributed to Bella Sinclair's fundraising campaign for Japan. I was honored and humbled to be a partner in Bella's worthy endeavor. Thank you dearest sisterfriend! We also thank those who left messages of encouragement. Bella and I received enough e-receipts from direct donations to the American Red Cross which enabled each of us to fulfill our matching pledges. As of April 14th, 2011: $900.00 direct donations were made to the American Red Cross. The art packets have been mailed and I hope some of you may have already received them. If you missed the opportunity to give, The American Red Cross is always open. I may run out of the original ACEO drawing of Quercus glauca so I may just send you another ACEO card or an 8"x10" print of any of my selected pen and ink drawings. I shall return with an announcement of the winner of the original 9"x12" Quercus glauca drawing. For information on the fundraising check out Bella's blog.

$900.00
4/14/2011

To the recipients of my Art Forward commitment, I have decided to give away 8"x10" prints of selected illustrations. Please email me your address if you have not done so. Susan, I have not forgotten my promise. Thank you for your patience.

Giving

Above, my take on Hukosai's Tsunami. Below, Tsunami, Young and Mature and Lindol (Earthquake) Young and Mature. Pen and ink on 9"x12" Bristol Board.

Ah! What irony. I am chagrined with the fantasy I have created with Chunami and Lindol. The lines and squiggle belie the sad and painful reality. Perhaps, it was my intention all along, to deny the pain and suffering brought by these horrible disasters. I can shut them from my memory and I will go to sleep tonight in sweet slumber.

But not quite so for the people who have suffered and continue to suffer from the recent Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami. They cannot even begin to rebuild their lives and homes because of the nuclear calamity. Having been born in a country ravaged with natural disasters, I understand the pain and suffering of the Japanese people, therefore, I join my dearest friend Bella Sinclair in her effort to help the people of Japan.

Please bear with me. I am asking for your help. I am requesting you to donate $25.00 directly to the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund. What do you get for your effort? For starters, the satisfaction of having helped, instead of just hoping you could help. It's hard to part with money, especially in today's uncertain and depressed economy, but if you can, Bella and I will be extremely thankful for your effort. Bella and I will give you prints and original pieces of our artworks:

An 8" x 10" print signed by Bella Sinclair. In Bella's words, "This is an image of two young Japanese children painting in one eye of a Daruma Doll. In Japan, the Daruma is a symbol of good luck and perseverance and is inspired by Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk often credited for his Zen teachings. The doll is weighted on the bottom so that it always rights itself rather than toppling over. Because of this, it is often associated with the saying Nana korobi Ya oki, which means, 'Seven times fall down, eight times get up.' Upon acquiring a Daruma Doll, a person will set a goal and paint in one eye. When the goal is achieved, he or she will paint in the other eye. In this image, the young children are setting their goal, and that is to get up once more."

As a thank you, you will also receive an original ACEO (2.5" x 3.5") of a Japanese Blue Oak Acorn (Quercus glauca), rendered in pen and ink and signed by yours truly. It comes in a handcrafted envelope made of beautiful Japanese decorative paper, along with information about this majestic tree.

Everyone who makes a donation will also be entered into a raffle to receive a larger original 9" x 12" pen and ink drawing of the Japanese Blue Oak on Bristol Board. If you would like to receive the above, please email your receipt for a $25 donation to the American Red Cross (earmarked for the Japanese Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund) to bellasinclairdoodler@yahoo.com or to cesandherdishes@sbcglobal.net. The print and ACEO will be shipped to you, free of charge. In addition Bella and I will, combined, donate $30 for each $25 donation received (up to $200).

The Quercus glauca illustration above, which I will be happy to give, is part of my personal collection below:

Thank you very much!