Had a good stay in Bacolod, and got to see a bunch of friends and classmates. As usual, ate too much. Checked out the new "Arts District" which was fairly close to where we stayed. A couple of nice galleries there and we connected Therese Hinojales, artist and atelier owner. We discussed our various techniques, materials and favorite artists; exchanging email addresses and websites. At another gallery Is asked whether they had any works by Rafael Paderna, one of her long-ago instructors who originated on Negros. Turned out that he has his own gallery in Bacolod (we had last heard that he was in California), and after a phone call we had a date to visit him the next day. That was the highlight of our entire stay, so far.
Paeng, as he's called, lives in a beautiful house/gallery/studio he designed and partially built himself. We spent over an hour with him and his wife viewing his works, old and new, as well as his latest passion-sculpture in cast and welded metals. Beside his own work he had many works by former students and current popular artists. Below is a quick shot of his "Birdman" which won top national prize in a contest wherein the winner was to have his work recreated or placed in a Manila park. It never happened and he learned through the grapevine that it was because he was from the provinces and not a big Manila name. Effing politics.
And then we were off to Dumaguete, and visits with Geneva, Ave (Is' neice) and the Valencia town office where she paid the staggering sum of PHP 600 as taxes on her land. The photo below, right is a shot of the club pool at the development where her lots are.
The other photo is a street scene shot in Malibay, one of the less glamorous neighborhoods of Metro Manila. A scene from the opposite end of the spectrum. Of course, they are not the extremities, but pretty close.
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