The Goat's Keeper SUOZ189 - Swatch Chinese New Year Watch for 2015

My mom and I had brunch in Mom and Tina's in ABS-CBN yesterday, and we ran a couple of errands right after. She had to have her Fino bag cleaned in Fino Trinoma. While we were there, she had the urge to buy a watch, so we made rounds in the watch shops. While we were in Swatch, we were informed there was a promotion for the Chinese New Year commemorative watch for 2015, the Goat's Keeper (SUOZ189).

I was just happy that they still had stock available, since I had only begun collecting Swatch watches late last year. It was Buy 1 Get 1, so we each purchased a pair, and we only shelled out PhP 4,000.00.

Sharing pictures of the watch - I am so happy I got to avail of this promotion!

More Marina Ceriola Paintings

Marina contacted me Saturday morning - she has paintings for sale! She sent me pictures of 6 paintings, but these are the ones that I had reserved:

Both are oil on canvas, and measures 18" x 24". 

I messaged her today asking when she can pass by the office so I can pay for these already. 

The 2nd painting is a reproduction of The First Mourning by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. 

I had already given a heads up to Frameworks Homefront that I will going to them on Saturday to have these 2 paintings framed - I started researching online as well on Renaissance-style frames, in order to pay homage to Bouguereau. Frameworks was suggesting that I use a silver frame instead of gold, but I'm still partial to gold, what do you guys think? 

Kurangga 3 by Robie Perdiguerra

I went back to the Bigkis Sining Binangonan exhibit in Il Centro last Saturday to pick up my two Gener Blanco paintings. I was quite excited as I was to immediately drive to Frameworks Homefront to have these framed. I had saved pictures of the paintings in the Blanco Museum, and I was to show them to Frameworks - I wanted the 2 paintings to look like they were lifted from the Blanco Museum.

A good friend of mine from New World Hotel and One Serendra, Myra Bass, sent me a Viber message in our group. You see, that morning, Marina Monina had messaged me with paintings that she had available, and I sent these to the One Serendra Viber Group. Myra wanted paintings to be placed in her office in Raffles. I informed her that one of my stops was the exhibit in Il Centro, and she asked if I could send her pictures of the paintings that were available.

As soon as I got to the exhibit, I started taking pictures of the paintings that caught my eye. Of course, I sent her pictures of Gener Blanco's works. A piece that really caught my attention, though, and wasn't in the exhibit when I had gone there the week prior was Robie Perdiguerra's Kurangga 3. It is acrylic paint on a 13.5" x 10" canvas, and is a mother and child. It was enchanting, and Myra being a mom to a beautiful daughter studying in Assumption San Lorenzo, I had an inkling she might like it. I took a picture of Kurangga 3 and sent it to Myra via Viber. 

She loved it, along with 3 Blanco paintings that I sent. She asked me to purchase these for her. 

I brought them with me to the office, I thought Myra was going to work today, but she was, unfortunately off today. For today, though, the Kurangga 3 is on exhibit in my office, just for a limited time. 

I couldn't resist, so I took a photo of it on my desk, so that I could share it with everyone. 

My mom saw the painting and was upset that I didn't buy it for her. It was then I realized that she really enjoys mother and child paintings. 

I'm just hoping when Myra comes to pick up her paintings tomorrow, I'd be able to let them go. 

Frameworks Homefront

I was pretty busy last Saturday - my building, Park Terraces, had its first staff outing in Los Banos, Laguna. However, I still found time to drop by Frameworks Homefront to pick up the 3 small paintings I wanted framed.

A couple of weeks ago, I had finally decided that it was time to have my mini-paintings, which I placed on small easels, to be given proper frames. I researched which frame shop I would go to. Rotech, although it has been quite affordable with positive results, already closed their branch in Sta. Lucia. I didn't want to brave the crowd in Megamall to go to the Rotech branch there.

I chanced upon the advertisement of Frameworks on OLX, which directed me to their Facebook page. Their shop was quite near where I live - so I called them to set an appointment.

I left the paintings there and they asked me to come back after two weeks. Finally, after much anticipation, I have the frames in my office already!

The Birdhouse by Renee Avila seems like its floating. I had it framed similar to a painting I purchased in Gintong Sining in Glorietta. I had an inkling the result was going to be spectacular, since the green is so vibrant, the black frame made it pop even more.

ANG Ink's Merm was quite a challenge, being such a small painting. To make it seem quite original, I also placed it on a predominantly black background to make the color vibrant - but I angled the mermaid so that the canvas would turn into a diamond shape. The frame's inspiration is from my 2 Anjo Bolarda wood blocks which I had framed in a similar fashion.

Miguel Toni's blue blossom - I couldn't really decide how to frame, since most of the frames we tried on it looked washed out. We finally decided to use a silver wood frame to accentuate its black and blue motif without making the painting look drab.

I have two Blanco paintings which I will be bringing to Frameworks - the owners are quite hands-on. They were the ones helping me decide on the matting and frame, they were giving good suggestions for each painting.

Should you need the services of a frame shop, why not give Frameworks a try? Prices are very competitive, and they make the frames in their shop right behind their store.

FRAMEWORKS HOMEFRONT
#46 Kamuning Road, Quezon City
telephone number: 02.4264482 / 0917.826.4482

Bigkis Sining Binangonan - Gener Blanco Artworks

I chanced upon an art exhibit that had just been set up in Il Centro in Sta. Lucia last Friday the 13th. I was driving by when I saw paintings by the entrance.

Kim and I stopped and we saw glorious paintings from artists hailing from Angono and Binangonan, Rizal.

There were paintings from Glenn Blanco, eldest son of Jose "Pitok" Blanco.

The youngest son of Pitok Blanco also had a painting on display. Peter Paul, when he was still a toddler, was featured prominently in his father's paintings.

Another group that exhibited their works is Bigkis Sining Binangonab. One of their members is Gener Blanco, related to the Blancos of Angono. And the family semblance is quite evident in his artworks:

Bigkis Sining Binangonan's other artists also showcased their works:

The exhibit will be open until May 22, 2016. I went back to the exhibit last Sunday, and I purchased paintings from Gener Blanco. It isn't everyday that you can easily purchase a Blanco painting without batting an eyelash -  so I purchased Dragonfly and Landscape. I'll be picking up the artworks on the 22nd, the last day of the exhibit.

If you live near the area, please pass by, and help support our local art scene and artists, purchase a painting or two, too!

Roberto Cavalli by Franck Muller

This post has been long overdue.

At the start of the year, I was window-shopping for a birthday gift for Kim. He wanted a watch, so I had periodically been making rounds in watch stores. I chanced upon a store owned by Meridien, which sells Ingersoll watches, and other brands. In the store, I discovered a Swiss watch which would take me months to acquire - not because it was expensive, on the contrary, the price tag was well worth it.

Roberto Cavalli currently has a collaboration with Franck Muller. Cavalli designs the watches, and it is made by Franck Muller. Franck Muller's watches belong to the price range of Rolexes, Chopards, and so on. Imagine my surprise, then, when I encountered a watch made by the Swiss watchmaker being sold for less than a PhP 100,000.00!

I told my mother about the discovery and seemed nonplussed about it - so I decided holding off on purchasing the watch until after Kim's birthday. I said to myself, if the watch is still there come March, at least the model I had wanted to purchase, then it must mean its meant for me.

March came, and the watch was patiently waiting for me in the store in Glorietta - so I bought it!

Famous celebrities who wear Franck Muller, the Master of Complications, are the likes of Naomi Campbell, Elton John, Demi Moore, and 50 Cent.

Here are pictures of the Roberto Cavalli by Franck Muller watch that I purchased:

If you want to own an expensive watch at a fraction of the cost, don't miss the opportunity, buy a Roberto Cavalli x Franck Muller collaboration watch!

Frameworks Homefront

I have three small paintings, a 12" x 12" bloom painting by Miguel Toni Villanueva, a 9" x 12" painting of a bird house by Renee Avila, and the small Merm painting I bought from Ang INK. For the longest time, these paintings were displayed at the topmost cabinet shelf of my office, placed on small easels. The reason they were displayed as such was because I couldn't decide what type of frame I was going to pair with them. I've been to Frame Plus, Rotech, and an obscure frame shop in Sta. Lucia - and their offerings are kinda limited.

I asked for a quotation on frames similar to the following.

1. For the Renee Avila bird house, I wanted it framed like the Meditteranean seascape painting I bought from Glorietta back in 2014.

I had Frame Plus quote how much this would cost, and they told me it would reach around PhP 2,000.00.

Frameworks Homefront quoted me PhP 800.00. Why not?

For the Merm painting, I wanted the small square painting to be in the center of a rectangular white matting with black frame. See the Pernia painting in the center? The Merm painting is as small as a coaster, imagine it there!

They're kinda full so the frame job will take about two weeks. I am so excited already, can't wait for the paintings to be framed!

Frameworks Homefront

#46 Kamuning Road, Quezon City

tel. no. 0917/0922.8264482