Hello everyone! Wow, it's been three years since my last post here, and so much have changed. I promise, unintentional blog abandonment is what happened. My priority during those years was my husband. But yeah... Gerry passed away in December of last year, and I'm honestly devastated since then, and I miss him terribly. The difference from earlier this year is, I'm more coherent right now that's why I can write.

So much creative plans in the future. Although, I'm focusing more on personal projects because so much stuff for myself and about my husband that need to be done. No commissions for now. I'm taking care of my day job, his blogs, his comics, and his Komikero Komiks Museum. Yes, that one still alive and receiving guests constantly. I hope one day you all get to visit as well.

I'll be posting pics of what I'm up to once a week or twice a month. I'm still not sure as I'm still figuring out my schedule. I know I promised myself, which I published(!) here, to post more often but it had been an utter failure because there was nothing to post. Hopefully, this time, it's for real. 

For now, let me leave you with a pic of the both of us in our future home (I'm sure, he's there already and waiting for it to get done) which is still being constructed. The bay window is so big(!), which is what he wanted, it's outside the frame of this pic: 

Oh, and by the way, please take care everybody. Let's wash our hands thoroughly, and maintain social distance. Let's all just stay inside and do our papercrafting, I think that's more sensible. Remember to always consider those who can't possibly survive this. Stay safe!

It's the time of year again!

A Break for a Gallery

Hello everyone!

We had been busy setting up the Komikero Komiks Museum which launched on August 13, 2016. Yes, it was August and it was the 13th. If you're the superstitious Filipino, you know what those things mean. Unfortunately for the superstitious, it was a very successful affair!

Right now, me and my friends (who are the actual owners), are trying to get our act together to finally fill up the Tia Maria's Sining at Kultura gallery cafe with art works from local artists. The owners are very much keen on promoting local arts and culture of San Pablo City. Hopefully, we will have the gallery up and running before the year 2016 ends.

Komikero Komiks Museum is a room within the gallery, and the cafe is in operations.

Tia Maria's Sining at Kultura Gallery Cafe
29 Marasigan Street,
Lakeside Park Subdivision
4000 San Pablo City

Film Negatives

My father loved taking photos of us as a family from when my brother and I were tiny little people till when we were in college, in his trusty Canon SLR camera... don't ask me about the model, I have no idea. We accumulated a number of film negatives from these photo ops, and since he was a hoarder and my mother, a sometime sentimentalist, they were able to keep these negatives in one place.

About 20 years ago, I found them stacked along with other documents and asked my mother if I could keep them. I stashed them in a box filled with silica gel and didn't do anything about it. A month ago, I saw them again and thought to myself, I should buy the film negative binders they sell online. Unfortunately, shipping is so prohibitive that I decided to think of something else to store them.

I read online that these negatives can be stored in either polyethylene or polypropylene containers. So, when I found these clearbooks with polypropylene pockets, I got a few and decided to use them instead. I divided each pocket into seven and made running stitches bothways to secure each strip compartment, and voila! I keep them in a pouch filled with silica gel again to help with moisture control.

I'm going through these film negatives, selecting the strips to print so I can give them to my mother so she can enjoy reminiscing clearer and bigger copies. The old photos are now faded and yellowed. I'm looking forward to a film negative scanner so I can have these preserved digitally. I hope I can find a good one.

2016 Summer Art Workshop Exhibit!

Hello everyone!

Here are some of the photos we took from our exhibit last 21 May 2016. See how proud the kids were for their accomplishment! These artworks in pencil rendering and watercolor were first for them, and they came out wonderfully. Although these workshops were open to any age group, the participants for this summer were children aged 6 to 15 years old.

We had ribbon cutting ceremony and a bit of mocktails going on, and the kids and their parents were very happy with what their children accomplished.

Thank you so much to my friends who own this gallery cafe with no name yet (Calle Sining is one of those names they're still mulling over), and has yet to open sometime in 2016, for offering the space for the exhibit to take place.

Perspective Drawing Workshop Happened!

Hello everyone!

It was an intense Perspective Drawing Workshop last Saturday, 14th of May, mainly because four of the participants were there because they just wanted to know what it was about. A quarter of the time into the Workshop, I shifted gears, because I doubted that they'd appreciate the technical ramblings that came with the original lecture. It was extremely fun, though! Those ladies were something else.

I asked one of the participants, a drafting student, to come back another day so I can give her a more relevant version of the lecture. I'm glad she did.

Someone wasn't able to make it that day, so we agreed that we'd reschedule his workshop for another Saturday. I really don't mind rescheduling for just one person.

Next time, I'll post about the summer art exhibit that happened yesterday!

Perspective Drawing Workshop is On!

Hello everyone! Perspective Drawing Workshop is going to happen soon! A bit of an update, though. It didn't occur to me that May 9th, the deadline for payment, is Election Day. My goodness! So, I'm moving that to May 12. Once we're settled, I'll send you the directions to our workshop venue.

Please send me your inquiries at info.paperbasket(at)gmail.com. I really hope to see you there!

Summer Workshop Ongoing!

Hello everyone! Just updating everyone on what's going on with our little Arts and Crafts Workshop. We're on our sixth week! And so far, it's going great.

Here's my Watercolor Painting Workshop in the morning. We were doing a lesson on color schemes, this one, it's about a Triadic color combination with Primary Colors as applied to a simple still life.

This Pencil Drawing Workshop is in the afternoon (we move to the patio after lunch, because it's cooler there in the afternoon). Here, the kids are doing separate projects because they finish each of their drawings at their own pace. The youngest was doing lines because she started just today. The oldest was doing a pencil rendering of the clay jar on her right side. The two on the left were doing their simple bowl, trying to apply shades and shadows on their drawings. The one on the foreground was finishing up with her set of line drawings of objects based on basic forms like cylinder, sphere, cone, and cuboid.

Last Saturday, we had someone who signed up for a Paper Cutting Workshop. Since it's her first time to do anything related to this craft, we chose to make a simple monogram for her which she also designed. We mounted her finish product after we cleaned up her project.

Next up on our schedule!

April 30 (Saturday) - Mini-Scrapbooking Class
May 7 (Saturday) - Mini-Scrapbooking Class
May 14 (Saturday) - Perspective Drawing Class
May 21 (Saturday) - Exhibit!

Arts and Crafts Summer Workshop

Hello everyone!

These workshops are for everyone who would like to spend time to learn the basics of watercolor painting and pencil drawing. These are skills-based workshops, and less about concepts and ideas.

Who can be participants? Anyone from 7 years old or older. Exercises and projects will be adjusted to age and capabilities of the individual. As long as you have the interest to learn about these things, it’s going to be a breeze. Please, don’t force anyone or be forced to do anything that’s not wanted, it will only lead to resentment and unhappiness, and no one wants that. But I digress.

The fee will only include materials. Just bring yourself… and snacks for yourself.

At the end of the workshop period, around mid-May, there will be an exhibit of selected works of participants at the Art Gallery and Komiks Museum we are in the process of putting up. Details will be announced later.

As for the actual workshops themselves, details are as follows:


Color Theory and Watercolor Painting

We will touch on the Elements and Principles of Art by way of introduction. Exercises will include the Color Wheel (Nobody can escape it!); color properties; color schemes; and, a variety of techniques to achieve various textures and moods.

12 sessions
Registration: Php1, 600.00 (covers first four sessions)
Per Session thereafter: Php400.00
5 available slots
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:00-10:00am
Sessions begin: 29 March 2016


Pencil Drawing

Like in the above workshop, we will begin with the Elements and Principles of Art. Exercises will include freehand line drawing (boring, I know, but necessary); tonal gradation charts using pencils in varying softness; light, shade, shadow, reflective light; and, rendering of different materials of varying textures and shapes.

12 sessions
Registration: Php1, 600.00 (covers first four sessions)
Per Session thereafter: Php400.00
5 available slots
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00-4:00pm
Sessions begin: 29 March 2016


Weekend Workshops
(Saturdays, dates as indicated below)

One (1) session
Workshop Fee: Php500.00

5 available slots
Saturdays, 8:00am-12:00nn
Sessions begin: 2 April 2016

Workshop Choices:

Paper Cutting

An overview of Elements and Principles of Art to help with a simple design for cutting. Tips on making a design to be used for paper cutting. Tips on how to cut paper (Yes! There are techniques to make your life easier and high blood pressure lower.) Mounting of the artwork on a display board. Age requirement: at least 13 years old because there will be sharp objects involved.
(April 2, April 23, May 7)

Mini Scrapbook Album

An overview of Elements and Principles of art to help with composition. We will make a simple 10-page 6”x6” scrapbook album for pocket-sized photos from scratch. Elements of a page as well as color schemes will be discussed. Page layout patterns will be provided as guide, and it will be up to the participants to use them or not.
(April 9, April 30)

Perspective Drawing
Please see details here.
(May 14)

For inquiries and clarifications, please email us at  info.paperbasket(at)gmail.com

Perspective Drawing Workshop!

Hello everyone!

We have a Perspective Drawing Workshop coming up! We know Google SketchUp is a lot of help and by all means use it! Technology is there to make our lives easier. But sometimes, we just want to learn how to draw environments and objects in correct perspective, and apply it to our personal projects. Sometimes, there is satisfaction in doing it ourselves... from scratch. And we can do that!

We are going to touch up on the concepts behind One-Point Perspective, Two-Point Perspective, and Three-Point Perspective. We will discuss the technical version (a little) and the guesswork version (a lot). We will have a few smaller exercises, and a final drawing output (hopefully) by the end of the workshop.

When you sign up, you could tell us the reason for it, so we could adjust the lecture and the exercises to your needs.

This will be limited to 10 participants only so we could have more time with each other, than if the class size is bigger. The workshop fee include all materials that you could need during the session. However, it does not include food, so bring your own snacks.

Registration is until 9 May 2016. For details, please email us at info.paperbasket(at)gmail.com

Times Change

Hello everyone!

I already started with my lessons for the incoming freshman architecture student. We are doing good so far. We're tackling architectural drafting in pencil and, pen and ink; freehand drawing in pencil and, pen and ink; and, watercolor and mixed-media rendering. Later on, we'll have perspective drawing (both the guesstimate and technical method), scale model making, and lastly, introduction to history and design. All in one-and-a-half months. *inhale*

Tomorrow, there will be another student, and this one's an interior design sophomore who's having difficulty catching up with the technical drawings part of the course. She's good, she's intelligent, but she's just beginning to learn technical drawing skills, and college is too fast for real beginners whose professor tells her she needs to improve her work without telling her how or why, or at least, recommending any book she could pore over to understand the subject. According to her, she recognizes that her technical drawings are not at all up to par with what's acceptable in the college... especially at the end of freshman year, but she doesn't know how to achieve that.

Each of them has her own set of lessons that would be more specific to each of their needs.

I never thought I'd see the day that college students will pay for tutorials as many do for elementary and high school students. It both amuses and disturbs me a bit. And in case you're wondering how am I teaching them, I'm a professional architect and taught architectural drafting for five years, and art class for elementary students for another three years.

And my Paris scrapbook took a backseat. Again.

In the Meantime...

I am preparing a sort of syllabus for introduction to Architecture.

My friends' daughter is going to college this school year and going to take Bachelor of Science in Architecture in one of the good universities in the country. She doesn't want to go in ignorant as to what she'd face there academically that's why she expressed interest in being tutored in that direction. We don't have senior high school yet for that to be possible for her to do and get credits for.

Her mom came to me and asked me if I could provide her with some introductory lessons. Here's the thing that makes it funny: the kid's father, also a good friend, is an architect, a very prolific one at that, and has an established firm of his own. I don't think he has the patience to teach, though, even if he knows more than I do in practical terms since he's the one who does the actual designing and building.

After reviewing what I came up with, it looks like it's going to cover the first two years of her major subjects. I think that would be enough to boost her confidence in joining a herd of students who came from more well-known private schools in the metro... we all know it's a thing for people from the province (from those abroad, that phrase is something like 'from the country') like us to prove ourselves. (Personally, I just didn't care back then, except for that time I was in a calculus class filled with students who graduated from PSHS when I cried buckets of tears and blood because it was hard for me but so, so easy for them, but I digress.)

So, tomorrow, I'm going to meet with her who I've known since she was in kindergarten. It's going to be a tight schedule until school opens in August if we would follow my suggestion. We would need to talk this over so we could agree on a more workable schedule together.

After that, it's the Weekend Arts & Crafts Workshop in August. Yay!

This Is A Miracle!

Hello again. I'm done with the Algiers album! Yay! I'd like to share the first page of the Paris album. Like the titles in the other album, this is also handcut.



And this one, this is what my Cricut is always good for: shapes for journaling blocks, because that is a lot of circles and ovals to cut by hand!

After 84 Years...

Hello everyone! Cookies for those who'd be able to guess the reference for the title. If you're in the Philippines, I'll send you something.

Anyway, the weekend Arts & Crafts Workshop is going to push through. I'm still trying to figure some things out. It's going to probably start sometime in August.

In the meantime, after almost two years, I'm finally able to start with these scrapbooks of our trip to Algiers, Algeria and Paris, France in October 2013. Like everyone else, I'd love to do it in 12" x 12" format, but alas! Like always, I was intimidated and overwhelmed even before I start. I said to myself, with not a small amount of bleeping words to mention here for general audience, I'd just make a couple of 8" x 8" bound by rings. I'd do the books myself.

And here they are. They're not finished yet, but I'm currently working on them. (No. They're not just on my table to remind me to work on them. I'm actually, really working on them. Ha!)

I wrote the words by hand; cut some titles by hand; and did some high school-level kind of letter cutting. I have a Cricut but somehow, I'm not happy with the letters that it gives me. They felt so impersonal. I used them for journaling cards, though. The pages are as simple as can be. I don't want to further overwhelm myself and give up after working on one page, so I just did this.



The one on top is our Algiers trip for the Festival International de la Bande Dessinee d'Alger. My husband was a guest and he gave a talk about Philippine Komiks.



I handcut the Algeria word. I like that it's in my handwriting.

Same goes for Algiers here.

These are how most of the pages are: pictures, words and pieces of paper as embellishments... if you can even call them that.

And of course, pocket! There needs to be a pocket for the souvenirs we collected.

I'm not done with the Algiers book, but the photos for the Paris book are all in there, as well as the souvenirs in its own pocket. I should be done with these babies at the end of June, because there are lots of projects to do yet. One frustrating thing about doing crafts and being motivated is, you really can't rush things so you can move on to the next project. You have to finish it!

See you all around for the Paris book!

Weekend Arts and Crafts Workshop 2015

Hola!

Wow. My goodness. How long has it been?

So much personal things happened and still are happening, but I think I've adjusted enough to do this.

This year, soon, hopefully, I'll start my Weekend Arts and Crafts Workshop here in San Pablo City, Laguna, that will run all year through with few breaks in between. It'll be open to everyone from 6 to 106 years old. Heh! Not a joke, though. The Arts part will include drawing, painting and mixed media art classes. On the other hand, the Crafts part will focus mostly on papercrafts, because that's what I love the most.

I'm still thinking if I'd like to offer calligraphy class but I'm mostly a fan of really pretty handwriting for everyday use, and not the artistic kind that which could be framed afterwards. If there are people who are interested in improving their handwriting, then I'd probably offer that... even if I'd only have a couple of students.

Each class will have 10 sessions of 2-4 hours each. If you want to stay beyond that, it's up to you. Bring your lunch and snacks, though. I'll provide water. Arts classes will be in the morning. Crafts classes in the afternoon. Lessons will be age appropriate, so it's going to be, more or less, one-on-one instruction even if we're going to be in a big group.

Even if you think you don't know how to draw and you still want to take classes, please come! You will surprise yourself. I promise. So, if you're around my area, please check us out after I've hashed out and posted the details.

Fees will be on a per session basis. There will be an official announcement later on.

See you later, guys!

It's Going To Be A Long Summer Vacation

Hello everyone!

Just read the news yesterday that, apparently, our school calendar will shift and Academic Year 2014-2015 will start in August. Four months out of school, and that means a lot of time for papercrafting. So much time I could devote to it and yet...

My problem, and this has always been my problem for years and years, I cannot stop reading. I would start reading something and say, "Oh, just two chapters today." or "Just those two articles," and then I will do chores. Or do some crafts. No. That never happens. I would devour that book till the last page, and would realize the day has come and gone. Sometimes, I would realize, months have passed. 

I wish I could say, "I will do crafts this coming four months and nothing but that," but I'm sure it won't be true. I'll try my best. I hope this would be better than my New Year's Resolutions where none ever came close to happening.

Here's me. Giving myself a pep talk to do creative things in the next four months. GO!

Griffonage

Today, I learned a new word.

WASTED Box Sets

Hello everyone!

I said I'm going to post something around the 15th. Well, the 16th pretty much still hugs around the 15th, yes? Anyway, I was just so tired last night to post anything at all, so I'm doing it now.

Yesterday, Gerry had a signing at Comic Odyssey for one of his comic books. Also, we got to deliver 10 of these box sets as well. We offered 20 box sets but as it is submissions time at the uni, I wouldn't be able to do that for the 15th. So, 10 sets, and another set for delivery on April 12th for this Summer Komikon or the Philippine Komiks Convention. I actually made something similar back in 2009 for Elmer comics.

Anyway, what is a box set? I think, you guys are familiar with your dvd or Blu-ray box sets, right? It's similar to that. It is a set of related materials in a box, simply put. For this one, it is a set of printed and handwritten materials related to the comic book Wasted. My husband made this comics 20 years ago and it still has such a following up to today. This edition is the third printing, excluding the one that was printed in Fudge magazine years back. Now, for Summer Komikon, we are going to launch another comic book written by my husband and drawn by my cousin, Arnold Arre, titled Rodski Patotski. It's in full color and printing is not really cheap so we thought of raising some funds for that. One of them was to produce these box sets.

It contained a hardbound copy of Wasted with a slipcase. If you look at the above photo, the book is the one splattered in red paint and the one behind it is the slipcase. It goes inside the bottom compartment of the box which is also the main box, and on top of it, there is another compartment for the extras as shown here:

The box is black to complement the comics, and lined inside with a textured red board because textured board is very glue-friendly. The bottom inside of the main box has strips of black board that act as corbel to hold up the top compartment. It also has a black ribbon to pull up the book as it would be difficult to remove it without something aiding it up. If you also notice, the top compartment also has a ribbon loop so it would be easy to pull it up as well.

Here's the inside so you can see more clearly:

And here's Zara, wrapping and labeling the boxes in Japanese (tissue) paper and plastic bags to avoid dirt and grime sticking to them. And of course, I wouldn't want the photo on top sticking to the plastic:

Here's a link to the digital version of the comics if you want to read it. Be ready for the angst! You will know also why the book cover is splattered in red paint.

Wasted Comics Online

Here's a link to my husband's web site:

Komikero.Com

I would like to make a video or photoset tutorial for these boxes. Sometimes, though, when I'm so into it, I forget what other things I'm supposed to do. I hope I don't forget this time.

See you next time!

Hey!

Hello everyone!

It's submissions time at the university! Finished six reflection papers (two-page essays each) in the last month, and two research papers to finish until March 24th, and I'm dead. My English language brain cells are depleted to alarming levels. 

And yet, I'm so happy about these two subjects I got this semester: Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education, and Teaching Strategies for Developing Critical and Creative Thinking. The discussions and the papers we did were very meaningful, thought-provoking, and it makes you want to really do something and be somebody better.

I'll be posting something around the 15th. I hope I'm still alive by then. See you!

Custom Stationery

Hello February!

This is one of those projects I didn't know I would ever do. I don't really draw. I mean, yes, I'm an architect but I'm more of the three-dimensional-building kind of designer. I like three-dimensions; four, if time travel is involved. Drawing is two dimension, flat on a surface without texture, that actually involves sketching lines. It involves a lot of thinking, teeth-gnashing, and tears.

Get my drift about how I feel about drawing?

Second, this style of drawing is out of my comfort zone, but it is what is requested. These are my interpretation of the design requirement: something fun and not serious for these custom stationery. The names would be written in my handwriting. 

Anyway, here are the thumbnails for the proposed designs. The one with the lamps and cushions, and the coconut tree, those are for the spa owner who's the client. The other two are for gifts to her friends. I'm still not sure if she would want these designs but for now, I'd like to share them with you.