This is the second sketch I did (very quickly)at the #UskManila #ManilaArtSihan event near Plaza Mexico in Intramuros. I found a spot behind the main event and this massive statue (I assume the plaza is named after him). The plaque on the statue says “Adolfo Lopez Mateos, President of Mexico, 1958-1964”. According to Wikipedia the artist is Luis Antonio Sanguino.
Sun-5-Oct-2025
This day started with lazy morning followed by trip into town for a 3 hour tip-based waking tour of downtown (our guide was Daniel of Toonie Tours). The tour took in Stephen Avenue, Plus 15 (a network of elevated, weather-protected walkways), the beautiful central library, the Bow Building (and the giant wire mesh head sculpture in front of it), the ‘Family of Man’ sculpture, the King Eddy Hotel etc. We then had dinner some friends at Goro and Gun – lovely vegan ramen soup! The tree sculptures I sketched (along Stephen Avenue) were designed by the Cohos Evamy Partners architects and are supposed to mitigate wind gusts in the area.
Fri-6-Jun-2025
Despite being tired (after seeing off our daughter and shopping in the Arndale for a wok), we stopped for a beer at the The New Oxford pub and I drew this. The pub has a huge range of beer – I had the house ale. This horse sculpture by Emma Rodgers (@rodgers_art.emma) recognises Salford as home to Englands first public library and it is covered with messages and sayings from famous Salfordians, poets and musicians. The visit Salford website (https://www.visitsalford.info/) also notes that “a dog cocking its leg against the lamp post is a tribute to Salford artist Harold Riley and his famous sketches of dogs”…you can just about see the dog in my sketch.
Sun-1-Jun-2025
Here is a sketch that has been languishing in my sketchbook for a long while, waiting for me to add a bit of colour. The ink-work was done when we went out to SM Aura (a local mall) to buy some weighing scales and art materials. We then had a nice meal in the “sky park”, where this sculpture is one a series by Filipino-American contemporary artist Jefre Figueras, apparently dubbed as “contour sculptures”. I’ve sketched the Tarsier and Carabao before, but this one is more hidden away. I drew this from where we had lunch – a place called Ramen Nagi where I had some vegan noodles…nice but a bit too much mayonnaise in them!
Sat-29-Mar-2025
Here is the last sketch I did on Sunday 16th Feb with #UskQuezonCity at the Quezon City Hall M.I.C.E building. This statue is one of many dotted around the compound…but it was the first one I saw when I realised I only had 10 minutes before the latag (show and tell)…though I did do a little more work on it later. The plaque notes that Andres Bonifacio led the Philippine revolution against Spain, founding the Katipunan, a secret revolutionary organisation. On the back of the statue it notes that the “Redevelopment of Plaza Bonifacio” was a project of Mayor Belmonte. It’s a pity that the artist of the statue is not mentioned and I couldn’t find the artist searching the internet either (although the City does have a picture of the statue on their website).
Sun-16-Feb-2025
Here is the second sketch I did with #UskManila when I joined a #Sketchwalk at PICC. After having sketched the main building I thought I’d do some quick sketches of the sculpture garden that is in front (that was opened in 1996). I did the ink work on the spot and added the colour at home. I’ve sketched here before (see the Russian Bear from last year – No.2472). These ones are (from the top left): Singapore (Harmony by Sun Yu-Li); New Zealand (Untitled Growth Pattern by Szirmay Marté); Thailand (Growth by Vasun Harimao); and Australia (Trade Winds by Allan Geiger, Giovanna Ianniello and Gerard Murphy).
Sat-28-Sep-2024
Sunday 5th May started with a drive into Makati with my wife attending a meeting and me hanging around in Washington SyCip Park (which is named after a Filipino accountant and banker). It’s quite small but contains several sculptures by Impy Pilapil – this one is called The Mangrove Nature Embrace. The park is a rare but desperately needed public green space in Metro Manila (the rest being eaten up by greedy developers), demonstrated by how crowded this park is with dog walkers, picnickers and people just eager to get outside… even in the heat. Sitting under this sculpture a couple were having a picnic and had brought their ginger cat, who regularly disappeared into the bushes.
Sun-5-May-2024
After sketching outside the Maybank Performing Arts Theatre last Sunday 14th April in BGC, and some lunch, our little sketching group moved to a different area outside Texas Roadhouse restaurant (on Bonifacio South Street). In this little stretch of pedestrianised road there are two artworks by Daniel de La Cruz, which according to one website redirect “our attention to the source of life-giving human expressions”. This figure (which I drew from the back) is playing a violin and standing on the apex of a cube. The other piece seems to be two children playing (also on the apex of a cube).
Sat-14-Apr-2024
This sketch has been hanging around in my sketchbook waiting for me to finish it for ages! I did the ink work when we went into Makati in September to get our printer repaired (it is now busted again). This sculpture is one of several on the traffic island outside Glorietta 3 (they call it a park), near the UCC Park Cafe. There are several other sculptures (I assume by the same artist) in the area. With a Google search I could only find out that Abueva was known as the “Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture”, nothing about this actual piece of work.
Fri-8-Sep-2023