116-3405-6 – Cafe Dionysus and who is this sculpture by, at the Pintô Art Museum

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin
Cafe Dionysus at Pintô Art Museum

In February we made a visit to the Pintô Art Museum. Our first stop was lunch (at Cafe Dionysus (Dionysus is the ancient Greek god of wine, fertility, theatre etc., known as Bacchus in Roman mythology), where I had panini with queso puti (local white cheese made from carabao’s milk) that was actually three pieces of pan de sal (local bread rolls). A lot has changed since we visited years ago. These sketches was done in a new sketchbook made with Cass Art hot pressed 300 gsm watercolour paper.

Who is this sculpture by

After a few hours of wandering around the galleries we stopped at another cafe (it seems there are three at the museum these days), for a cold drink and I did a second sketch. Despite a long time searching I cannot find the name of this piece or the artist. I should have looked more carefully when I was there.

Tue-24-Feb-2026

115-3404 – Kintsugi again

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

I sketched this on the second day of our daughter and her partner were visiting us – we made a trip into Makati for ukay-ukay (thrift store) shopping, wabi-sabi lunch (a noodle house in Makati Cinema Square – where we spent too much time trying to get a phone repaired, without success), then Greenbelt Mall. This teapot (from Syria – see sketch No.613 done in 2018) had a plant growing in it and the cats broke it…so another repair job is needed. Kintsugi is the the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery.

Mon-23-Feb-2026

115-3402-3 – Street in Taal and water bottles at Lomi House

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin
Street in Taal

Here are my last two sketches done with Urban Sketchers QC in Taal. The first of these was done in a random street – with the Basilica still visible in the background. The second of these was done at the end of the day after the Latag (show and tell or throw down – when the Mayor came!) while we waited for our Pancit Lomi before heading home.

Water bottles at Lomi House

Sat-21-Feb-2026

115-3401 – Minor Basilica and Parish of St. Martin of Tours

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

Here is the second sketch I did with Urban Sketchers QC on the “Banaag Sketching Heritage Tour” in Taal. After breakfast we wandered up to the huge church in the town and sat in the shelter of a gazebo near the town hall to sketch out of the sun. I’ve sketched a similar view before in 2023 – see sketch No.2371) For a change I made a video of myself sketching this…just but holding up my phone and filming a few clips then joining them together. It’s a bit shaky and was distracting me a bit while I sketched, but it was fun to do.

Sat-21-Feb-2026

115-3400 – But first breakfast

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

Here is the first sketch I did with Urban Sketchers QC on the “Banaag Sketching Heritage Tour” in Taal. A friend kindly drove a group of us and we arrived just in time to register, get a goody bag and for the opening talks. We then went to straight to breakfast at @GalleriaTaal (where there is also a camera museum though we didn’t go and see that).

Sat-21-Feb-2026

115-3396-9 – Household of St. Joseph and Lunar New Year

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin
Household of St. Jospeh

Here are the sketches I did in Binondo on Chinese New Year with Urban Sketchers Manila. I first met my friend Reuel in SM Manila and walked into Binondo. On the way we stopped for breakfast at Jollibee on Quintin Parades Road and met this group of people who said that they gather every Tuesday. This would turn out to be the enduring memory of the day. They were so friendly and happy to be sketched. We took group photos and they gave us rice cakes and crackers. Fr. Joaquin (who is from Goa and appears in my first sketch) said we were breaking down barriers by sketching – it was such a heartwarming start to the day.

Horses and tranvias de Filipinas

My second sketch was of the fibreglass horses hitched up to the a streetcar in the Chinese Museum next to Lucky Chinatown Mall. The Tranvía was a streetcar system that served Manila during the late 19th century. The horse-drawn tranvías (or tranvía de sangre—literally “blood tram”) were an animal powered version of the system.

Chinese New Year

My third sketch was done in a rush on the bridge overlooking Lucky Chinatown Walk – I think that’s a multi-storey car park in the background. I had to rush as it rained – you can see splashes on the paper.

Junk

Finally I sketched the receptionist or concierge in the museum, standing behind a desk shaped like a junk (a Chinese sailing ship). On the wall there were lots of phrases in English and Chinese (and maybe Tagalog?) – in relief. That was difficult to sketch and I am not sure if I captured that very well.

Tue-17-Feb-2026

115-3390-4 – Pagsibol figure drawing

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin
10 mins

Here are the figure drawings I did with Kyusi Sunday Sketchers a few weeks ago. According to Google Pagsibol means sprouting, germination, growth, blooming, or emergence…I guess it’s been a while since the group had a session!? I sketched using ink and watercolour as usual.

Pose 2 10 mins

The group had arranged for some guidance from Joji Vidal (@jojividalart) and he gave us some detailed instructions on proportions. I drew him and one of the other sketchers while he talked.

Joji Vidal – Proportions!
Fellow sketcher
Last pose 20 mins

Sun-15-Feb-2026