On Sunday 12 January we joined our first #SketchWalk of the year with #UskQuezonCity at the University of the Philippines sunken garden. The sunken garden is a large green basin-shaped area at the Diliman campus, surrounded by large trees and is popular as a venue for sports and outside events. I did this first sketch of a group of young guys quite quickly…after 15 minutes they all got up and left together, so I had to be fast.
Sun-12-Jan-2025
A few weeks ago I joined #UskManila for a #SketchWalk at the Metropolitan Theatre, which was celebrating its 93rd anniversary with an event called “Samot-Saring Bida: Ang Bodabil ng Pag-asa” – which translates roughly (according to Google) as “Various Stars: The Bodabil of Hope”. Bodabil (a transliteration of vaudeville I think) was a type of mass entertainment (song, dance, stage magic etc.) popular during the American occupation of the Philippines. We were invited to sketch during the dress rehearsals on the day before the event. This is the first sketch I did – which I also left with our mini exhibition in the lobby.
Fri-6-Dec-2024
This sketch was done during our sketch-walk with #UskManila in the Paco district of Manila. This is the Bellevue Theatre on Pedro Gil Street (I am counting this as my sketch for Day 27 of #Inktober2024 following the subject of “road”). The theatre was built in 1933 in an art deco style and was originally a cinema. Sadly these days it is used as a supermarket and looks a bit forlorn. The scan of my sketch is a bit grainy as I just took a photo and submitted the original to the “SketchPod 2024: Concrete Pulse” exhibition at the Arte Pintura Gallery, who are celebrating 9 years. The exhibition is on until 30 November.
Sat-16-Nov-2024
Update…unsold sketch collected from Arte Pintura and scanned properly!
After sketching the Masonic Temple we joined the rest of the #UskManila sketchers in Paco Park and I sat on one of the walls to very quickly sketch this view. Some of the huge trees there are as old as the park – several hundred years. Paco Park was Manila’s municipal cemetery built by the Dominicans during the Spanish colonial period. We were given a little history background and were told it was the first cemetery built (in the Philippines) outside of the grounds of a church. It was built to cope with a cholera epidemic and was initially for the affluent Spanish families living in Intramuros. I am counting this as my sketch following the #Inktober2024 prompt of “jumbo” for Day 28.
Sat-16-Nov-2024
On Saturday 16th November we joined #UskManila for a sketch walk in the Paco district of Manila. We started by sketching at the Plaridel Masonic Temple. According to Wikipedia the building was originally built as a clubhouse for German migrants in 1914 and then sold to the masons in 1919 – but I am not sure if they are referencing the building we sketched or the one on the main road. I am counting this as my sketch for Day 31 of #Inktober2024 following the prompt of “landmark”…this huge building is certainly one.
Sat-16-Nov-2024
Here is my sketch (another delayed post) for Day 9 of #Inktober2024 following (interpreting really), the prompt of “sun”. I drew this after my #SketchWalk with #UskQuezonCity at the Museo el Deposito in San Juan. I sat in the @FigaroCoffee shop that overlooks a huge atrium, while I was waiting to pick up my wife at the Shangri-La Plaza mall in Mandaluyong.
Sun-13-Oct-2024
Here are the sketches I did for the #SketchExchange with #UskManila at the Amplify Arts & Music Festival. On the second floor of the #AyalaMuseum they have more than 60 of dioramas, presenting the story of the Filipino people starting in 750,000 BC up to the US recognising Philippine Independence in 1946.
I just did two quick sketches, one of pottery making 6,000 years ago and one of the first mass in 1521. I put these sketches on our groups table and took one in exchange (the third drawing in this post), of me doing my sketch in the lobby area. I’m not sure who did this one…but to whoever claims it as theirs, thank you very much, great drawing!
Sat-19-Oct-2024
I forgot to post this sketch which was done at the Gyud Food Market at UP (University of the Philippines), last month. We were at UP to visit #StickerCon where we bought some stickers ….of course! Afterwards we went for a snack and a chat with friends at the food market (we bought our dinner from the shop in the background – yummy pad Thai).
Sat-28-Sep-2024
Here is the first sketch I did with #UskManila at the Amplify Arts & Music Festival, marking the #AyalaMuseum 50th anniversary. The festival celebrated Filipino creativity with live performances, lectures and the museum’s collection of exhibits. Our group had some live sketching going on – plus there was a sketch exchange. I decided to do this first sketch before the crowds filled the lobby area. This display includes several objects from different parts of the Philippines. In my sketch you can see an 18th Century “Retablo Altar” (a devotional altar), from Leyte Province, in front of which is a 19th century Nuestra Señora del Rosario (our lady of the rosary). In the glass case in the foreground is Nuestra Señora Inmacuada (our lady of immaculate conception).
Sat-19-Oct-2024