UrbanSketchersManila

96-2898 – Paco Park

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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

96-2897 – Plaridel Masonic Temple

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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

83-2604 – In the kitchen

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Here is the second sketch I did last weekend with #UskManila at the Pamintuan Mansion, in Angeles City. To do this one I stood at one of the exhibits (I added the colour at home). I should have read more about what I was looking at, but I believe these are traditional Palayok clay cooking pots, with the smallest one sitting on a Kalan clay stove. On the poster in the background are the colloquial names of some Filipino street food, including Adidas (chickens feet), Walkman (pigs ears) and helmet (chicken heads).

Sat-24-Feb-2024

83-2603 – Steps to Pamintuan Mansion

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Last weekend we went to Angeles City with #UskManila for a #SketchWalk at the Pamintuan Mansion, which was built in 1890 and is currently the site of the Museum of Philippine Social History. It was also used by the Katipunan during the Philippine-American war, was the site of the first anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence, was used as the HQ of General MacArthur, was occupied by Japanese Imperial forces, has been a clubhouse, a hotel and a bank. Given all of that it’s in pretty good condition!

Sat-24-Feb-2024

83-2594 – Binondo church

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This is the last sketch I did with #UskManila in Binondo for the Lunar New Year celebrations. After hanging out at Escolta Street we walked down Ongpin Street in a massive crush of people and ended up at Binondo Plaza where (again in a crush of people) we all did a quick sketch. According to Wikipedia this church (also know as the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz) was founded by Dominican priests in 1596. The original building was destroyed in 1762 and the only part remaining of the church that was later completed in 1852 is the octagonal belfry, which I drew. I’d like to sketch this church again, when it’s less crowded!

Sat-10-Feb-2024

83-2593 – PhilTrust Building

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This is the second sketch I did with #UskManila in Binondo last Saturday. As I was sketching this the Lunar New Year parade came by with people on floats throwing little envelops of cash and sweets (candy) into the crowd. Naturally this was accompanied by a few dancing dragons and a lot of deafening drumming! The building in the middle of this sketch (partly hidden by the Filipino-Chinese friendship Arch with the tiled roof and the New Chinatown Arch at the top) was completed in 1914 and was first the headquarters of a hardware company, Uy-Chaco and Sons. It was designed by an American architect, Samuel E. Rowell.

Sat-10-Feb-2024

83-2592 – La Madre Filipina (Jones Bridge)

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After sketching at the Gomburza monument last Saturday with #UskManila we went into Binondo to watch the Lunar New Year celebrations. There was supposed to be some kind of photo-walk starting at the junction of Escolta Street and Jones bridge, so we hung out there for a while and I did this sketch standing in the crowd. The Jones Bridge was most recently restored in 2019 (the first version was built in 1919) and four statues collectively called La Madre Filipina (the Philippine Motherland) guard it, representing different aspects of nationhood (gratitude, democracy, progress and justice). According to Google maps the one I sketched is “progress”.

Sat-10-Feb-2024

82-2590 and 83-2591 – Gomburza

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Racing the sun

Last Saturday I had a lovely day out with #UskManila starting with an ad-hoc sketch-walk at the Gomburza monument, which honours three priests (Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora – Gomburza derives from their names), who were executed by the Spanish authorities on charges of subversion arising from the Cavite mutiny, in 1872. To get the best view of the monument I had to huddle next to my sketching friend Edgardo Granada, sketching quickly, before getting scorched. I had more time to sketch the view from the back. It took me two sketches (and reading the blurb on a sign) to realise that there are three figures in the sculpture (which is by Solomon Saprid).

Three priests

Sat-3-Feb-2024

82-2586 – Just one more

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After #CCPPasinaya2024 last weekend, a group of us went to Harbour Square to do just one more sketch before heading to Quezon City to help put up the Fifth Anniversary Exhibition of #UskQuezonCity. I was joined by my sketching friends @theartistpaul2020, @reuelgarzon and Edgardo Granada. Of course (after the usual awful traffic…you can always blame it on the traffic) we ended up arriving at the exhibition venue (the Presidential Car Museum) a bit late.

Sat-3-Feb-2024