Watercolor Workshop for Kids

Last Sunday I volunteered for the Watercolor Workshop for Kids at Ayala Museum by GooglyGooeys artist and founder Ms. Tippy. She was joined by her supportive husband, Pong.

GooglyGooeys is a watercolor art folio that features gooey designs appealing mostly to kids. 

I learned a lot from my experience that day. Best of all, I appreciated how watercolor is such a flexible art medium. But let's not go into that, instead, I want to share some photo highlights from the 4-12 year old participants.

Kids played with watercolor techniques like flat wash, gradient, wet in wet, dry brush, splatter (my favorite), lifting, and glazing.

The second session taught kids how to doodle (sketch) based on facial outlines. 

I am the lone volunteer that day so Ms. Tippy drew me when she needed a male model. Yes, I can say that GooglyGooeys drew me. Yey! Note: I volunteered to see an artist in action and learn from her; to be drawn by her is just a great bonus! 

The kids also directed Ms. Tippy as they invented FlappyButt, a boy-rocker-vampire who dons a spiky hair and loves bears and cats.

With my five hour volunteer experience, I observed that kids have varying visions of art (obviously!) as some of them see it as a dark experience. One kid captioned her character, (not in exact words) "Sometimes I just sit and stare and wonder what am I doing here?" Pretty dark, eh?

When Ms. Tippy asked kids to observe their hands and count their fingers, the same kid answered, "I'm pretty sure we all know that." This kid clearly has issues, though I have to say that she is one of the advanced students.

Participants pose with their certificates

Wish parents could see their kids' folios so they can gauge how they feel or think as of the moment.

"Borrowed Time"

Pixar brought us some of the most remarkable animated films like Inside Out, Wall-E, Finding Nemo (then Dory), Brave, and The Toy Story and Cars franchises, which made us yearning to be kids again! 

Unbeknown to many, behind the entertaining characters, fanciful production value, and mostly lighthearted storylines, are cartoonists who believe that animation is a genre not exclusive for, and defined, by kids.

Take the case of Lou Hamou-Lhadj and Andrew Coats, co-writers and co-directors of the award winning animated short film, "Borrowed Time." They have been generating a lot of attention recently for their story about "a weathered Sheriff who returns to the remains of an accident he has spent a lifetime trying to forget. With each step forward, the memories come flooding back. Faced with his mistake once again, he must find the strength to carry on."

This aptly titled six-minute film (which you can watch HERE) echoes the time tested principle that our time on earth is limited. So short that we need not spend it sulking over the past (i.e. things we could have done the other way; mistakes we could have avoided; and choices we wish we made).

To live with grief, remorse, and sorrow, is part of the 'moving on' process but if they consume you for the rest of your finite life, expect to become worse than your former self. 

Let us learn from the Sheriff who unintentionally faced his demon--his uninvited ghost--after all these years. He proved to us that no matter how hard the challenge was, how long it has been, and how old you've become, "you can turn things around.*" He also showed us that forgiveness is a generous gift that we can offer ourselves.

The best part about the short film is knowing that Lou and Andrew developed the story in a span of five years, collaborating between their breaks at Pixar to do something compelling and meaningful out of their 'borrowed time.' :)

If you want to learn more about the creators' motivation behind making the story, watch their interview on Vimeo, here.

*Part of the emotional speech of Joan Rivers when she won a Daytime Emmy for her morning show in 1990, few years after her lowest point inHollywood--following the cancellation of her Late Night show and the suicide of her husband. You can watch it HERE.

Gratitude List (part 2)

Never take for granted simple blessings and pleasant surprises. You never know when will they come back to you (if they will, at all.)

Here is my gratitude list (part 2)

• Free chocolate in the fridge - Do I need to explain how chocolates make our day? :)

• Cheap, quality cinema - Together with some college friends, I recently watched "Ang Babaeng Humayo" (The Woman Who Left), the four-hour epic of internationally acclaimed Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz. The movie won the Golden Lion award (Best Picture) at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival. Ticket cost is P100 only when you watch it at the government funded Cinematheque Centre Manila.

My millennial friend, Hsam

It was my first Lav movie and I could say that he has a magical approach to cinema.The duration is extremely challenging for even seasoned moviegoers but he knows when to insert light parts to avoid crossing the lines of monotony and drag. 

When I watched it, I became prouder of our identity as storytellers but proudest for finishing it in one sitting! #ShowTheLav #ForTheLavOfCinema 

• Power Rangers 2017 movie trailer -  Yap, I belong to the millions of '90s kids who still dream of becoming a Power Ranger so to see the sneak peak of the new generation Rangers is beyond exciting. It's the next best thing to making my power induced dream come true. I bet it's safe to say that little girls dream of being a Disney princess while little boys aspire to be assigned one powerful color in the pack (mine is negotiable)!

• Agot Isidro - I thought nothing could beat the Power Rangers trailer until local actress Agot Isidro trended on social media because of her strong and unapologetic criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte. The rest of the country was like, "I never thought Agot can say those things" so she became the subject of thousands of smart-shaming and personal tirade from Duterte supporters. Way to go, Agot! As it is with democracy, everyone is entitled to their opinion. The unbearable noise in social media resulting from opposition with the current administration is the price that we, unsurprisingly, have to pay.

• Successful encore event for a client - After countless of preparatory meetings, and back-and-forths of plans and articles, I finally sealed one of my accounts at work and my clients were happy with our performance. Yaaassss!

• Volunteer experience at Ayala Museum - After what felt like an endless cycle of (cue Rihanna) work-work-work-work-work, I signed up to be an Ayala Museum volunteer so I can recharge on weekends and be surrounded with arts and culture--two things that make me happy most. My first task was to be an usher in Ambeth Ocampo's talk on Food in Philippine History. I gladly found out that Ayala Museum takes care of its volunteers and treat them--us--with food and freebies. Not to mention free entrance to the events we volunteered for :)

(From left) My co-volunteers Val, Arvee, and Sam. The cool Ambeth Ocampo does the peace sign.

I can keep going on with this list but I have to manage my time. 

More to come!