EARLY MODERN PAINTINGS #1

"The strangeness will wear off and I think we will discover the deeper meanings in modern art.”- Jackson Pollock (American  Abstract-expressionist Painter - (1912-1956)

"TITLE: MODERN ART IN GREEN, BLUE, YELLOW AND WHITE#1
SIZE: 48" x 36"
MEDIUM: OIL ON CANVASYEAR PAINTED: 1970
GIFT TO MR. AND MRS. GASAT BELO

Many years ago, My husband & I visited the house of my eldest sister in Seattle, Washington. She told me that her son Nathan inherited one of my old huge modern paintings. Actually I didn't remember the painting she was talking about.

 

Two months later, Nathan e-mailed a photo of the above painting now hanging in their living room. I smiled, to see an old painting of mine. It was like seeing an old friend. How could I not remember that I painted it? Anyway, I now remember that it was one of my experimental, modern oil painting during my early years as a artists here in Southern California. Truly happy to to see this painting again. I hope my nephew (Nathan) will continue to treasure it.

"REFLECTIONS FROM MY HOMELAND"- SERIES#4

"The first virtue of a painting is that is to be a FEAST for the eyes." -Eugene Delacroix

TITLE: "REFLECTIONS FROM MY HOMELAND#4"
SIZE: 3 1/2 feet by 6 feet
MEDIUM: Oil On Canvas
YEAR PAINTED: 1979
SOLD: TO LOIS AND GLENN CAMPAGNA ($100.00)

This is the largest of all my oil paintings. I painted this for my youngest sister Lois. When she and family moved to a bigger house w/ different theme and color, she gave it away. Her interior decorator said it didn’t compliment her décor. For a while, it made me felt bad but later the painting was inherited by my  only brother (Hector) and his wife (Marilyn). I was happy it remained w/ in the family circle. They loved it so much and displayed it proudly in their lovely living room in San Diego, California. This is a different version from my original homeland painting but have the same "fiesta" theme- folk dancing, harvesting, feasting and merry-making. This is the last of the series of my homeland oil paintings.

 

TITLE: "REFLECTIONS FROM MY HOMELAND #3
SIZE: 3 feet x 6 feet
MEDIUM: Oil On Canvas
YEAR PAINTED: 1975
SOLD TO: MR. AND MRS. FLOYD WILLIAMS ($100.00)

Sorry to say, that this Series #4 oil painting has no available photo. It is owned by Floyd  Williams. My cousin Raquel ordered this oil painting while they were living in Germany. I mailed the finished painting and canvas to them. I saw the oil painting when they moved back to the U.S. and lived in Lompoc, California. I regretted that  I didn't keep a record of the 3^rd series.

 

This painting really traveled a long way. Presently, I live on the West Coast and this painting is now on the East Coast. I got in touch with my cousin and inquired what happened to the oil painting. I heard it is now in a storage. Part of the divorce settlement, her ex-husband Floyd owned the painting. She promised to find a photo for me. So stay tuned. SOMEDAY!

"REFLECTIONS FROM MY HOMELAND"- SERIES #2

"The first virtue of a painting is that is to be a FEASTS for the eyes." - Eugene Delacroix

 

"REFLECTIONS FROM MY HOMELAND- SERIES#2"

SIZE: 6 feet x 3 feet (oil on canvas).

MEDIUM: Oil On Canvas

YEAR PAINTED: 1973

SOLD: To Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Kragen ($100.00)

 

This is the second painting that I created from my original "REFLECTIONS FROM MY HOMELAND - Series#1". I painted it at our first house in Hidden Lake. We didn't have children yet at that time. We lived in a four bedroom house. One of the rooms became my art studio plus craft and florist room. I also worked for TV Fanfare full time. W/ my day job, I could only paint at night and during week-ends. I finished painting the Series#1 in a month. Series #2 took me 2 months. I painted this huge painting for Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Kragen from North Hollywood, California. They were Jews but liked Philippine setting. They were the parents of Bruce, my husband's best friend. I sold it to them for only $100.00. It was the first oil painting I sold in the United States. Back then, it was a good amount of money for an unknown artist. I felt rich.
 

When Bruce parents passed away, he inherited this painting . It is now in their house in Santa Monica, California. I was fortunate to be reconnected to this painting. During my solo art show last September 2008, I borrowed this painting and exhibited it w/ the original "Reflections Of My Homeland"-Series#1, together w/ other 13 brand new oil paintings.  I felt sad that this oil painting deteriorated over time. Some of the oil paints cracked because it was not probably stored properly. So I did some restoration and retouching on the Series#2,  before showing it to the public again.

 

REFLECTIONS FROM MY HOMELAND -SERIES #1

"There's No Place Like Home"

 "A House is made of brick and stone. A home is made of love alone."

"A house is built by human hands. But a home is built by human heart."

Over the years, we had moved to nine different houses but this oil painting remained w/ us. It beautifully graced our home wherever we moved and lived.

 

FIRST HOUSE: We moved to our first brand new house in Hidden Lake, Canoga Park (San Fernando Valley) CA. We moved this huge oil painting for the first time. This was the first painting we hanged in our new house.

SECOND HOME: At 8394 SEDAN AVENUE, CANOGA PARK (SFV), CALIFORNIA 

After living for 3 years in our first house,  we moved to this model home next door. This oil painting became the centerpiece of our family room. What attracted us to this house was the high cathedral celing and the man-made lake in our backyard. It's beauty and serenity was perfect setting for an artist.  

 

THIRD HOUSE: In 1985, our family relocated to Valencia, a master-planned community of Sta. Clarita Valley, California. We lived in Lochmoor Road in the Meadows area. The company I was working for was devastated by fire. So TV Fanfare relocated to the Valencia Industrial Center. My husband and I decided it was best to move closer to our jobs.

We displayed this favorite oil painting in our family room. I duplicated the feel and style of the house we left behind. I remained faithful to our yellow color theme w/ subdued tones. I picked a wall  paper design that's close to the one in our former family room in Hidden Lake.

 

FOURTH HOUSE: Again in 1989, we moved to a brand new house at "The Oaks." The house was a Tiburon model. It got 3,000 square feet. It was bigger than the other house we lived in Lochmoor  Rd. before. We hanged this favorite oil painting in our family room. This photo was taken during our housewarming.

 

FIFTH HOUSE: Later we decided to move to Newhall (Sta. Clarita) in 1992. We lived on a street called "Oakrun." This painting stayed in our family room. No photo available.

 

SIXTH HOUSE: In 1992 we moved to Castaic (Sta. Clarita). We lived in Cloverleaf St. We liked this house because it was surrounded by mountains and the views were gorgeous. This favorite painting was displayed in our family room again. In this house, I had an art studio built inside our three car garage. I started to do oil paintings again. I did many art works while we lived here. No photo available.

SEVENTH HOUSE: We moved back to Valencia at the Northbridge area. We found a cozy Cottage Hill architecture type of house. It got a loft upstairs which was perfect for an art studio. The daily sunset view from the kitchen was a constant inspiration for me to paint. We bought this house w/ no reservation despite of it's small size.

 We displayed this colorful oil painting on our dining area for the first time. I did many masterpieces in this inspiring house.

 

EIGHTH HOUSE: My husband had an early forced retirement last 2010. So we decided to relocate in San Diego.  Our small condo was located at  Rancho Mission Road overlooking a beautiful river view. Inspiring to paint. This oil painting was on display at our dining room wall.

NINTH HOUSE: Last year, 2012, we decided to move back to Valencia (Sta. Clarita). Our new condo is at the Bridgeport area. This oil painting in presently on display on our living room. This "Reflections From My Homeland" (Series#1) had always been a part of our lives through thick and thin. Amazingly, it survived beautifully after so many moves. Truly this art work will last forever after I am gone.

"Long after our monuments of brick and stone, vitriol, plastic and concrete have vanished, our words, our art, our legends and our myths will remain as a legacy." ( Harry J. Boyle)

A COLORFUL LIFE & PAINTINGS

"Paintings  have a life of their own that derives from the painter's soul."- Vincent Van Gogh 

 

"REFLECTIONS FROM MY HOMELAND" - SERIES#1

  

SIZE: 3 Feet x 6 Feet
MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas
YEAR PAINTED: 1971

The years hurried on. June 2013 is finally here.  This colorful painting is now 42 years old. Still a raving beauty because it was well taken cared off. I painted it after I got married in 1971. Like this painting,  my husband and I have an enduring and  beautiful marriage for 42 years. 

As newly married, we first lived in a cozy apartment at the intersection of  La  Fayette St. and Beverly Blvd. ( Los Angeles). My art studio was our small multi-purpose dining area. This was the first huge oil painting I painted in this small space. Back then I also work as paste-up artist for Trade Service Publication. The office was just across our apartment. Very close and convenient to walk to work.

When I immigrated to the United States, I was quite homesick so most of my paintings were reflections of  my former homeland  ( the Philippines). I will never forget my homeland. I am proud of my heritage and enriched by embracing two cultures. I came to the United States w/ only a luggage and a hand carry. I managed to bring some samples of my small art works for my portfolio. I needed to show some samples when I applied for advertising job. But I left all my heavy student oil paintings in the Philippines.

It didn't take long for me to start painting again in my adopted country. I did small oil paintings prior to this huge painting in our studio apartment in Westwood Village which I shared w/ my sister Ofel. 

Out of this original "Homeland" painting came a series of paintings. I had painted variations of this painting five times for family and friends. Many wanted me to do the same painting but I simply refused and said..."No more!"  I thought that doing this kind of painting five times was more than enough.

The vibrant colors of this oil painting was inspired by the many brilliant colors of my favorite artist (Vincent Van Gogh). The style was also influenced by Vicente Manansala, one of the contemporary Filipino artists that I admired while at the U.P School of Fine Arts.

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YELLOW YEARS - MODERN ART #4

"It is not hard to understand modern art. If it hangs on a wall it's a painting, and if you can walk around it, it's a sculpture." - Tom Stoppard

TITLE: "THE WAVES"
SIZE: 3 feet by 2 feet (3 Panels)
MEDIUM: Oil On Canvas
YEAR PAINTED: 1977

"HAPPINESS" is living at Hidden Lake. Those were happy rolling years like beautiful waves when we lived there. This is a colorful modern oil painting that I created when we moved to the model home next door. Like  my favorite artist, Vincent Van Gogh, I was fascinated w/ the color yellow. Yellow is always a color that’s very alive, happy, vibrant and uplifting. The years we lived at Hidden Lake were like “Golden Years” to me. Yellow & gold and synonymous.

I remember there was a long wall on the living room. A perfect space for a BIG and BOLD modern painting like this. I combined yellow w/ ochre, sienna and white. The combination turned out very nicely. 

Below was a photo of our inviting and beautiful living room where we displayed "The Waves."

 

 

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF "THE WAVES."

THE JOY OF COLOR

"The JOY you give to others is the JOY that comes back to you." -Anonymous
I am re-posting my painting named "LIGAYA" in honor of my daughter JOY. She is the inspiration behind this oil painting.

MARCH IS A GREEN MONTH With the change of month comes the change of color. I am sure you're tired of the color RED, so it's time to go GREEN. It is a secondary color. By mixing BLUE and YELLOW you get GREEN. On the color wheel Green is the opposite of Red. No wonder when you put these colors side by side, the effect is very gorgeous. Green is a cool and calm color. It also comes in different gorgeous names like emerald, jade, verdant, olive, electric lime, viridescent, java green, etc. Sometimes Green comes in delicious vegetable names like arugula, celery stick , cilantro, green tomato, rhubarb leaf, string beans and many more.

A PAINTING FOR JOY I have a beautiful daughter named JOY. Like her name, she's a joy to behold. Many years ago, I painted this colorful portrait for JOY. This is not a masterpiece like a Rembrandt but I love it. Painting a portrait is very challenging but rewarding. Yes, JOY looks close to this young Latina model in the painting. She has black, long hair, lovely eyes and lips. I apologize that the photo of the painting didn't turn out well. It's a bit blurry. This post is dedicated to JOY who's celebrating another birthday on the 9th (Sunday). "HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JOY!!!!"
CLOSE -UP VIEW OF PAINTING This oil painting on canvas is (16" x 20"). The painting is entitled "LIGAYA" - meaning JOY in our native language (Filipino). This painting is among my collections at home. Like this painting JOY brings color to our family and imperfect lives.

THE JOY OF COLOR Just imagine a world without the color green. What if the vegetables we eat are not green but black? Will it look appetizing? Black and white are neutral colors and not consider real color like green or red. So a colorful green food and world bring lots of JOY.