A-List is Back with Paintings

I know it isn't an excuse - that I've been busy the past few months. I recently opened up the blog again, and realized I am still getting a steady influx of views. So It is quite unfortunate that I haven't been updating. What drove me further was when I received a text message from a good friend of mine, Len Bayas, who had just recently discovered that I had this blog.

As I said, being busy isn't really much of an excuse, I mean, I still was able to eat out the past few months, right? I was able to go out of town at least once in the past year. The characters that will be accompanying me in this portion of my journey may have changed - haven't been able to keep in touch with the original characters of A-List Manila, to whom we really owe the inspiration of my having started this blog to begin with. And, is A-List still showing in the US anyway? If in which case, let's push this further to new heights.

Moving forward, you won't be hearing that much anymore about Derek and his friends, we seldom see each other anymore, save for the occassional accidental encounter in BGC. My partner in crime now is Kim. So A-List Manila readers, I'd like everyone to meet Kim :)

I underwent so many changes in the past year. Many of you must know already that I am a collector. It all started with stamps back when I was in grade school. Then, I got into collecting Coca-cola memorabilia in high school. Now, I collect paintings. I try to paint also, but that's a different story which deserves another post. Yes, I got fascinated with paintings, and it all started with an art exhibit that I organized in One Serendra.

One of the artists that we featured was Ediefer Gutierrez, and I fell in love with a painting of his. It was an untitled nude of a woman he met in Puerto Galera. It spent several days in my office (as some of the paintings was temporarily stored there prior to the exhibit), and I couldn't stop looking at it.

It's a bit difficult posting pictures of paintings, because, really, pictures will never do these works of art justice, regardless of whether I use an SLR. I love the androgynous look Ediefer's model had about her. So after countless thinking and re-thinking, and after consulting my good friend (who also happens to be a painter), Franco Melendres, I took the plunge and bought it.

From thereon I was hooked. I started looking up paintings online, systems in which a collector can use to record their collection, and have even considered taking up Masters in Art Studies in UP Diliman - this one I'm really quite intent on pursuing.

My next purchase was sometime April this year after I received my performance bonus from my company, and was a Mediterranean seascape from a European artist. This work of art I purchased from Gintong Sining in Glorietta 4.

Most of you are probably realizing now that most of the paintings I like have texture and are more impressionistic.

I visit a lot of art galleries during my spare time, and have visited museums in Metro Manila. Kim and I even went on a sojourn to Angono, Rizal, and visited Nemiranda's Arthouse and the Blanco Museum. Really awesome, if you guys are looking for something to do during a Saturday that doesn't involve going to clubs.

I also commissioned a painting from my friend, Franco Melendres. I'll dig up some pictures of his works and post it here soon so that you guys can see how brilliant an artist he is.

I also recently discovered contemporary artworks. My recent proud acquisition is Jaime Gubaton's House series from Gallery Big in LRI. If the watercolor looks familiar, it was recently featured in an article entitled 14 Artworks Under PhP 5,000.00, link of which I am posting below the painting.

http://manila.coconuts.co/2014/02/13/10-artworks-under-php5000-art-all-manila

I often frequent the Future Market in Escolta, sponsored by 98B, where I discovered works from Anjo Bolarda all at really affordable prices. Anjo Bolarda has recently concluded a show in Vinyl On Vinyl called Sorry for the Inconvenience.

I purchased two of his acrylic painting on wood blocks and made them into a diptych, which was then hung in our guest room.

Pardon my hideous looking comforter, was so proud of them, so soon as I got home, I just had to take a picture of these two. Will share photos later on of how I had them framed and how they're faring in the guest room.

From Future Market, I also met the lovely Sheila Ledesma whose paintings were another case of love at first sight for me. She called these her ectoplasmic series, and I just love how she was able to make the acrylic colors swirl.

As you can see, my iPad and its Capdase casing photobombed the picture.

These are how the paintings looked after I had them framed in FramePlus.

I'll be coming up with an article also on this lovely frame shop I drive to for my framing needs. They are so affordable, and with an expensive addiction such as paintings, you really need to know where to get your artworks framed without denting your wallet.

Hope everybody's up to speed on what's new in A-List Manila. I am so looking forward to indoctrinating the readers to the art galleries and exhibits that I'll be visiting pretty soon.

If you're interested in any of the artists whose works I featured, please feel free to leave me message and I'll give you their contact information.