Caught In The Rain

"Of all days I should forget to bring my umbrella, why did the sky all of a sudden decide to rain now?," Mesma muttered while taking cover under a mushroom along with other elves who were caught unawares by the sudden torrent of rain. Huge globs of rain explode as they crash against the ground, splashing water everywhere, it was impossible not to get wet. And with the rate the rain is falling, pretty soon every mushroom on the mound will be engulfed by the rising flood. Forgetting the umbrella was the least of his problems Mesma realized.

Back Home To Where The Wild Things Are...

"There are so many beautiful things in the world which I will have to leave when I die, but I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready.” - Maurice Sendak (June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012)

Here's my tribute to one of the greatest writer and illustrator of children's literature, who has greatly influenced how I see the world and recreate it through my humble art. He's back home to where the wild things are...

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.

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
   

“Spinning” is finally out!

Finally, my very first picture book is finally out! "Spinning" is a heartwarming story about a boy with autism. Written by Palanca Award winning author Irene Sarmiento and illustrated by yours truly, the book has endured numerous trials before it has eventually reached publication. I cannot describe how excited I became when Irene texted me about its release. I was not at the best of my health, but this great news surely lifted me up from my depressed state!

Here's our masterpiece!

I should say that the printing by Anvil Publishing, Inc. was superb. The pages were able to capture the vibrant colors and textures of my original art. Most importantly, the text of Irene's wonderful prose was integrated seamlessly with the art. One of the things most people will notice is that this edition features only the English version of the story. Anvil has decided to release a separate Filipino version later, as releasing it in bilingual would greatly affect the size of the text, making it uncomfortable to read.

The Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP) will be promoting this book as it aims to improve the public's awareness of autism. Dang Koe, the president of ASP, mentions "Reading Irene Carolina A. Sarmiento's Spinning immediately brought back memories of our family's early years with autism. More than anything, Spinning reminded me that educating the siblings, especially in their early years, should be done with fun, and with so much love – not just for the child with autism, but also for the other children."

"Spinning" is now available and can be purchased at the Anvil Publication Inc.'s booth at the Manila International Bookfair helf at the SMX Convention Center, Sept 16-20, 2009. Soon, it will be available at local and popular bookstores. The Filipino version "Paikot-ikot" will be released soon.