I am a mad scientist!

I am a mad scientist! I perform numerous questionable experiments on myself that often ends up with a boom and I do so with utter disregard to ethical standards. You might ask why I see myself so… but aren't we mad scientists all? We do the cruelest things to ourselves, almost ignorant to the risks. Sometimes we know the risks and we jump in anyway even if there is only a slim chance that we'll survive it unscathed. And when it does turn out awry, we just bear through the transformation be it evolution or mutation.

On a side note, I chose a mad rat scientist for the drawing on the account that my folks at home call me "the biggest rat in the house that walks on its hind legs" because of my nighttime habit of scouring the kitchen for leftovers whenever I get the hunger pangs.

Pea-Cock-Roach

The PeaCockRoach, probably the most beautiful cockroach in the world. Picucaracha! What sorts of adventure will our little friend be in, as he sorts out through the underground world of filth, be detested by fellow roachies for his quirks and finally reach flower heaven?

Just one of the random characters from my idea notebook. Here's the original sketch:

Mermaid Fashion

I've always wondered what else can a mermaid wear besides shells and starfishes as they are often depicted wearing? The numerous undersea possibilities are endless!

“Ang Malungkuting Bata” (for Ang I.N.K. Annual Exhibit)

"Wag kang mag-alala, usbong. Lalakas ka rin. Aalagaan kita at mamahalin," sabi ng puno.

Hindi sumagot ang usbong. Tahimik lang siya. Nakikiramdam at nalulungkot.

Dahil magkadikit ang dalawa, may dumaloy na lakas sa usbong mula sa puno. Paano'y nabigyan ng puno ng pagkain ang usbong.

Hindi lang iyon ang ginawa ng puno para sa usbong. Inalagaan niya at ipinagtanggol ito mula sa mga batang may dalang panungkit.

Dahil hindi pa malakas ang usbong, hindi pa siya maaaring mabangga. Araw-gabi, binantayan ng puno ang usbong.

Hanggang isang araw, ang usbong ay naging isang dahon.

Ang isang dahon ay nadagdagan ng isa pa.

At isa pa! At isa pa! Hanggang naging matibay na sa sanga ang dating usbong.

"Salamat po! Salamat po!" Sabi niya sa puno.

• Hango sa "Ang Malungkuting Bata" ni Rene Villanueva
  

The upcoming annual exhibit of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang I.N.K.) will be a tribute to Rene Villanueva. Featured in the exhibit will be new illustrations of several of Villanueva's endearing stories. "Forever RENEver" will be held on November 19-29, 2009 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

“Twinkler Bloom” (Girl Scout of the Philippines 2010 Calendar - December)

The Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang I.N.K.) is working on creating the images for the 2010 Calendar of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. I decided to volunteer and ended up choosing the December page of the calendar. The page needed to feature a cheering activity with Twinklers (that's what they call 4-6 year old girl scouts) with pompoms.

I absolutely have no experience about cheerleading. Except maybe being able to watch the GALs (Girls Athletic League?) events hosted in La Salle Green Hills during my high school days. There's something out of place when an all girls athletic event is being hosted in an all boys school. I understand we had the best gymnasium (the popular space-ship shaped one), but you just couldn't imagine the distraction it caused among the student populace when the pretty girl athletes arrive and walk down the quadrangle! Of course, our most awaited event would be the cheerleading event. Not that we love cheerleading per se with all its high pitched shrills and cutesy high jumps, but they were such a sight to behold! I don't know if it would be appropriate to conjure these memories for this project. Uhhmmm…

So I decided to interview my little sister and all my female friends for all their girl scout experiences, just to get a feel of how it is to be a girl scout (geeesh). I was a kab scout, but somehow trying to tap those experiences didn't help that much.

I wanted the picture to be bright and jubilant, almost explosive. This was December, the best month of the year! From afar, I wanted it to look sparkling, or more appropriately flowers in bloom. And I thought the pompoms and their bright faces would be able to create that effect. I started working on some sketches and sent them in for final approval.

For the final piece, I used watercolor for base, and acrylic and colored pencils for highlighting on illustration board. Showed it to Sigrid, my 11 year old sister and critique, and the painting passed her standards – "It's nice…" If I pleased her, I knew it would please the other kids, especially girls who will see this illustration.

Somehow, I'm not that completely satisfied with this illustration (perhaps, it's the size… I felt it was too small… this would look absolutely great in oil on a huge canvas) and I wished I had more time to work on it. But friends who saw this piece first noticed it from afar, and they would beg to see it up close, so somehow I was able to succeed on that account. I hope it has that effect when this gets printed.

Beauty in Asymmetry: What’s in store for the Philippine flag?

What's new with this Philippine flag?

If you have a sharp eye particularly to the details of the Philippine flag, you would notice that in this version, the sun would have nine rays instead of the usual eight. This is more or less what the flag would look like as soon as the Senate and House of Representatives ratifies next week the reconciled version of Senate Bill 3307 and House Bill 6424 which provides for the inclusion of additional ray in the sun. Apparently, the ninth ray was proposed to be added to symbolize the "the courage, bravery and integrity of Muslim Filipinos who fought for the nation's independence" and hopes that this would "foster greater unity among Filipinos regardless of religion." The whole story can be read here: Yahoo! News Philippines: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gma/20090924/tph-senate-house-panels-ok-bill-adding-9-d6cd5cf.html .

The ninth ray represents the importance to "recognize the efforts and contributions of the Muslim Filipinos in the country's history so that they would not feel marginalized and Filipinos would be united regardless of creed". The Muslim community has greeted this proposal with enthusiasm, signifying that they are gradually "being respected, understood, and accepted". Link: http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2009/0924_gordon1.asp

From a design perspective, I personally think that our flag is one of the most beautifully designed flags in the world, and this news particularly worried me because any tampering with it would ruin this perfection. In the mock-up I created above, somehow, the changes are not that noticeable. In fact, the addition of the 9^th ray causes a subtle asymmetry which somehow adds visual allure, mystery and dynamism to the sun. Of course, one has to consider the historical facts behind the development of our flag's design, and whether the rest of the Filipino community would be open to such changes (Nice read: http://filipinovoices.com/no-to-flag-cha)

What do you think?

Chulliyaw: Book 20 of Ichananaw Children’s Storybooks already published!

Another book I was illustrating was finally published as well. The book, entitled "Chulliyaw" (originally titled "Chuliyao, but I guess was corrected to fit the Chinananaw dialect, is about a farmer, who was constantly wooed by a rat into marrying her. A sort of love story unfolds. This book is actually book 20 of a series of Ichananaw children's storybooks which are based on oral stories told by Ichananaw elders from Kalinga and illustrated by the Ang I.N.K. These were produced as teaching and learning materials under the Australian Government funded 'Indigenising Education in a Kalinga Public School' project initiated by Australian volunteers Maria Cameron and Edwin Wise.

The book looks attractive and was laid out in the style of the old storybooks (with patterned spine and spreads). The initial spread looks great as it features most of the wonderful characters and scenes in all the books in the series!

The pages feature the story told in 3 languages: Filipino, English and Chinananaw, and is accompanied by my illustrations.

The books are not available for commercial purposes, as these are intended for the use and enjoyment of the Chananaw community and the Dananao Elementary School in particular.

For more information about this project, click on the following:

1. Inquirer: Kalinga tribe's stories, songs in 26 books: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090712-215050/Kalinga-tribes-stories-songs-in-26-books,
   
2. Manila Bulletin: They left their heart in Kalinga: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/211152/they-left-their-heart-kalinga
   
3. Preserving IP Culture in Kalinga: http://ayad-vida.devconceptsph.com/news-and-features/290-preserving-ip-culture-in-kalinga
   
4. Australian Embassy of the Philippines: http://www.australia.com.ph/mnla/SP090710.html