chopsticks and paintbrushes

JOEL FERRARIS' SCULPTURES at SM Sky Garden

2009-06-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

RAINBOW WATERFALLS (see more JOEL E. FERRARIS' sculptures here)

Sculptures are considered as 3-dimensional pieces of art. Having the opportunity to study architecture at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City allowed a door opened for me in the discipline of thinking concepts, designing, drawing plans hands-on, studies in mathematics and calculus plus engineering sciences. These experiences and lessons augmented my discipline as a studio painter and visual artist, a portrait artist, muralist, craftsman and struggling writer.

In my own point of view as an artist my dilemma in being a painter and a once-upon-a-time architecture student was given fruitful solution and outcome. Sculpture as a form of art lies between 2-dimensional art forms like painting and the 3-dimensional habitable structures that are products of architecture in the form of buildings.

Painting and all its forms and media used are mostly done by the artist without the aid of others for no one could mimic minute brush strokes exactly. In contrast, buildings as structures that fall under the category of architecture, are completed after undergoing a more intricate process with the aid of other experts in various disciplines from engineers, city officials, construction workers and other personnel. In short, there is an "army" of experts involved. Yet in the end the architect gains recognition because the original basic concept and design belongs to him/her. The same could be true in making films and in doing sculptures. The size, volume and time element involved requires a team of experts to make an idea drawn on paper "come to life."

Nowadays, with the introduction of the digital technology, some visual artists doing 2-dimensional forms of art require the use of other available means with the aid of other experts. Some examples are those who practice art using digital technology like professional photograpers.

I am happy that the designs and concepts I did for SM Sky Garden was made into a reality by a team of world class experts from Themebuilders Philippines Inc, a company responsible for various projects worldwide that includes Ocean Park in Hong Kong, The Dinosaur Project in the US and the famous Corpus Experience Museum in the Netherlands to name a few.

And you know what?! They are based in Pampanga, Philippines which is my country. It only shows how talented Filipinos are and because companies like Themebuilders Philippines Inc. believe in the Filipino talent this mutual trust that allows jobs to be available to many must be maintained.

PAINTING SHADOWS AGAIN

2009-04-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

By Joel E. Ferraris

After my successful solo art performance and exhibition titled TINY STUDIO at the Sara Sen Gallery in June 2008 which was featured in TimeOut Hong Kong (print and online) I once again found myself chasing, tracing and painting the shadows of people.

It was a suspenseful short time before the event waiting for the guests to arrive. As I gazed at the blank canvases arranged on the wall I wondered what image would finally come out several hours later.

Unlike the previous project I had where the shadow of the entire human body was traced this time the focus was on people's hands as they tried to form animal-like shapes with the aid of a professional shadow artist who happens to be a Filipino-Chinese citizen of Hong Kong.

The one night event was so interesting as people took turns on standing in front of the spotlights to allow their hands to cast interesting shadows on the large modular canvas.

There were three of us in the team. I was assisted by my lovely wife Sally and beautiful young Karina Rivera-Curlewis. Young Karina also joined us in the Hong Kong Mural Society to paint the giant mural in Tsing Yi island in mid- 2000.

The mural is now in my studio as I continue to put some more elements to it. I plan to add some more exciting elements to surprise viewers later on.

On hindsight, as I recall how people, delegates from different countries, form shapes of animals out of their hands’ shadows during the events night, I reflect on the fact that and the irony of it all that it is mankind’s handiwork that contributed in the trend towards extinction of some species of living things.

Now the threat of global warming casts a dark and dangerous shadow in people’s lives.

IT RUNS IN THE BLOOD: THE FERRARIS GROUP SHOW

2008-07-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

This exhibition presents the works of the five FERRARIS siblings, their spouses and their kids.

Interestingly, the labels of each art piece exhibited in the gallery now were written in the penmanship of their mother, Teresita Arroyo Epistola Ferraris. It is a timely tool presented in an age when the art of handwriting is gradually forgotten while the modern day hi-tech gadgets changed the art of writing.

Joel, Nelson, Jocelyn, Noel and Edgar are all self-taught artists from Iloilo City, Philippines. They started doing art since they were young kids by joining art competitions and art exhibitions starting from their province in Iloilo and eventually in Metro Manila and abroad. Although they have no formal training in fine arts because there was no fine arts school in their city at that time they were able to win significant and prestigious national and international arts competitions.

Coincidentally, they were married to equally talented ladies who are also artistically inclined but who worked in a much slower pace than they do.

Sally (Joel’s wife) is a graduate of BS Statistics and is the one close critic of Joel’s work. She started painting flowers in the 80s but recently shifted to a more abstract theme influenced by her job as a computer analyst.

Pamela (Nelson’s wife) took up BS Pharmacy. She became an artist inspired by her husband’s prolific attitude towards art making. Having had the first taste of acceptance in the art world when one of her art piece was auctioned in the early 90s, she became more determined to pursue her newfound profession.

These biological sisters who both studied at the University of the Philippines have a youngest sister Beth who also wanted to take Fine Arts but instead graduated as a Medical Technologist like Jocelyn.

Sukoi (Noel’s wife) is a graduate of BS in Mass Communications and is the niece of Norman Sustiguer, a very close friend of the Ferraris brothers, and who is a very talented artist and painter who once taught at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts. She painted a portrait of Noel in 1995.

The kids David, Daniel, Jemimah, Violet, Ronnie, Faith, Joseph, Kulay and Neo are all showing strong signs of inclination towards the arts. At their very young age they have very much interest in drawing the same way that their parents had in the past. And like their parents, these kids have no one to force them to pick-up pencils and papers to draw whatever ideas they have in mind.

The exhibition presents a spectrum determined by age and their works present a variety ranging from the carefree action of an innocent 10-month old baby to the more careful and calculated approach of adults approaching their golden age.

Violet (only 10 months old and the youngest of all) displayed the natural actions of babies her age to throw things. Her artwork was a result of paint splattered over a canvas when her father Nelson gave her cups of paint of different colors.

Jemimah (3 years and 8 months old) began to draw human-like forms in a more naïve way. These were all done in free-flowing strokes and drawings and she gave them names like her papa, mama and brothers. Unaided by her parents and brothers, she just silently draws in one corner of their flat whenever she feels doing it.

Joseph ( 4 years old), draws colored images showing the California forest fires as seen from a young child’s eyes. This is evidence that children are affected by what they see on TV especially the news. Done in bold strokes and strong colors on handmade paper, these small artworks send a strong signal from a very young boy his age..

Neo (4 years old) is more interested in cars and Tom and Jerry. His strong but playful strokes and colors are much bolder compared to that of his older sister Kulay.

Daniel (7 years old) has done drawings showing kids playing with their kites. His depiction of one kid looking upwards towards the sky is surprising. Another and recent artwork, his first watercolor painting, presents nature seen through the eyes of a child.

Faith (9 years old), who has traveled to Boracay Island in the Philippines several times with her family, draws coconut palms and flowers and shows her strong interest in nature.

Ronnie (10 ½ years old) did colorful artworks showing landscapes and a tree house. His love for golf and their family trips to Boracay Island with his sister Faith are good sources of inspiration.

David (10 years and 8 months old) presents drawings done in different periods that show the development on his skills. From images of toy robots and lego characters he has improved a lot even without the tutelage of his parents when he started doing still life drawings of the plants which he has incorporated in one single drawing depicting a farm.

Kulay is 11 years old and the oldest of the Ferraris kids. She displayed a more mature approach to drawing and painting. Her art pieces clearly show a more careful approach especially when she observes first hand how her meticulous father Noel work on background artworks for very popular animation films like Tarzan and Lilo & Stitch. At a very young age she was influenced by the Japanese Anime images but has tried to develop characters which are considered totally her own.

Judging from the above works of the children, it could probably be an interesting show to see if these art pieces done by kids in small scale be enlarged into large-scale artworks when they grow-up into adults in the future.

Now let’s focus on what their parents have done. In this particular exhibition, the five Ferraris siblings presented works old and new.

Joel, who has been showing his new works made in Hong Kong all these years, decided to include one very old work dated 1986 and done in a traditional style in oil on canvas. This is in stark contrast to his new style in mixed media on wood done in 2007. The reason is to present a lingering problem in the Philippines.

Nelson has three very visually strong art pieces with messages ranging from cyber piracy to global warming and pollution and the age-old theme about religion and violence. These are just a mere peek at what he has in his store room.

Jocelyn has one piece done in 1992 showing her meticulous technique of mixed media on handmade paper, a style which was part of a series that was included in a traveling exhibition dubbed “Visayan Islands Visual Arts On A National Circuit Tour” all over the Philippines in 1992. At present she joins group exhibitions in the US.

Noel, who has a very keen and strict eye for details, presents a mixed-media artwork. With the Filipino values as the theme, he uses the Letras Y Figuras approach to present a visual narrative of our rich heritage as a people.

Edgar, who lives and paints in the family’s place of origin in Iloilo City, presented a more relaxing theme in oil and acrylic on canvas about the beauty and lure of the beach and the life close to the sea. A frequent visitor of Boracay Island, he has experienced a more remote yet more internationally exposed life there in that island with white sand beaches so loved by multi-national tourists.

All of the above show an interesting mélange of art by beginners, amateurs and professionals and the accompanying contrast between youth and older age. It draws the line between innocence and a mind full of or bothered by serious concerns and issues affecting a person or the society. Although the older ones have more time to do art while their sunsets are still far away, the dawning of the promising talents of the younger ones may yet show a new breed of artists in the Ferraris family.

Art is a God-given talent used as a tool to aid in one’s better existence. Yet above all these, and given the possible temptations that an artist might face after success or failures in this chosen field , it is the true, strong and real Christian spiritual enlightenment that is the strong foundation to guide artists to be able to become good stewards of this extraordinary blessing. Moreover, as life is a gift in itself, it must be meant to glorify the One who gave it.

EXCITING IMAGES AND MORE CHALLENGING IDEAS

2008-06-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

The recent news about the victory of a Filipino boxer has dominated the headlines and has probably grabbed the attention of the world.

I am not a fan of boxing anymore because I hated violence ever since I came to a point of realization. But this image above represents the inner conflict in man as he struggles against himself on the issue regarding which path in life he has to choose.

What is disturbing is when our country's leaders see that the victory of a Filipino in the world of boxing becomes " a welcome salve to a nation suffering from high prices of oil and food, the devastation from a recent typhoon, and the tragedy of another vessel sinking."

But the question is, what does this somewhat modern day gladiatorial combat do to the psyche of the young Filipino in the midst of reality that gun violence in the Philippines becomes a human security concern?

What message will our society's role model convey to the young while the evil culture of violence is still a serious but dormant problem?

Indeed there are a lot of threats to our young kids nowadays starting from the separation of parents as a result of broken marriages, the destruction of the kids' spiritual and moral values because of this disunity of parents, the resultant effects of being forced to join bad company because of the lack of a comfort zone called real strong family and more and more negative results that awaits a young child.

Kindly read Misleading Heroes and Dangerous Toys.

Tracing one's own shadow is a challenging task...

You have to be very accurate and precise in order to do the perfect form.

"BAWAL ANG UMIHI DITO" ("DON'T PISS HERE") is one familiar sign in public areas reminding people of discipline, decency,morality and order.

My brother Nelson arrived with my 82 year-old Mom to attend our first art group show in Hong Kong titled "IT RUNS IN THE BLOOD: THE FERRARIS ARTISTS GROUP SHOW" Here he is measuring the gallery floor area in preparation for the exhibition where he will be the curator.

MORE GUESTS...THE PAINTING CONTINUES

2008-06-27T13:33:00.001-07:00

All photos in this entry, except the last one, were taken by my 2 guests using my own camera.

Last Tuesday, June 24, was the closing party for this mural project. Well, that's meant for the PhilArtsFestHK calendar only but still my work continues until such time that I will be satisfied with the whole painting. The mural is available for public viewing in the gallery until July 2 anyway.

Today two of my friends arrived at the gallery. Here, posing in a Kung Fu-like stance, is professional photographer Victor Bautista. He was responsible for taking my photos for the cover of Review Asia and the photos of Artist Elizabeth Briel for the same magazine .

Review Asia is a new and classy magazine.

With Victor was Butch Durias, the president of the UP Alumni Association Hong Kong chapter. He is also a photographer and plays organ very well at the Rosary Church. He and Victor are members of the Pinoy Photographers Club. Their recent exhibition was Ex-Press at the Philippine Consulate, Hong Kong.

Butch posing as The Thinker standing. (Where will I eat my dinner? When will he finish this mural?)

The work goes on for me...

...and I just pause to talk to guests or have my snacks.

As you look at the mural you will see that it is very complicated and requires a lot of meticulous job. This is the signature of my art through all these years. Try and visit the links at the bottom of the column on the right and you will see my previous works done with lots of details. But it pales in comparison to the works of my brothers sometimes.

The story written by Ms. Smiley Julve about this project is now published in The Sun. I will write the full and in-depth explanation and meaning about this mural shortly.

Wow! That's my lovely wife Sally. We're enjoying the delicious Kebab, our dinner after a day's painting job. It feels good to truly love and be loved by the mother of your kids. This strong relationship resting on very strong Christian spirituality lays the right foundation for our kids.

CLOSING PARTY PHOTOS

2008-06-25T02:18:00.000-07:00

The closing party, the date of which was squeezed into the calendar of this year’s PhilArtsFestHK, was meant to gather friends and art enthusiasts to the gallery once again for them to see the outcome of the mural after it was started last June 3. The four blank canvas panels are now full of elements, images in line drawing-like patterns of various things and people.

Despite the sudden news that Typhoon Signal #1 was hoisted here in Hong Kong, which was expected to be raised to #8, still friends who are serious about supporting the art of Hong Kong-based Filipino artists arrived at the gallery.

It is sad sometimes to see the same faces in our exhibitions all these years and this observation was even shared by a Hong Kong-based foreigner who is supporting Philippine art all these years. I just hope that the so-called "curse" does not affect the small community of Filipinos here in this place which is much closer to home.

Despite the all-out publicity now and the growing popular knowledge that there exists a festival of arts and culture of Filipinos here in this world city we still have to see people going in droves to art galleries showcasing the works of Filipino artists the way the public is interested with the Hong Kong Art Fair.

What comes to mind is the relevance of art done by Filipinos in particular or the relevance of art in general in the lives of people more preoccupied with surviving while the prices of commodities are rising.

To me, if art only serves to satisfy the investment aspect rather than convey a strong message to at least uplift people's souls or even lead artists to have a more positive outlook in life or a clean life then these art pieces will just remain as mere commodities adding to the pile of rubbish that add to a depressing personal life once the interest on them fades away completely.

Artist Noel de Guzman, whose new works are part of the ongoing group exhibition at the Floren Gallery, is one of the most prolific Hong Kong-based Filipino artists. His forthcoming solo exhibition titled Cyclic Circles will open on Thursday, June 26, 2008 at the Karen Weber Gallery here in Hong Kong.

Ms. Tessie from Archangel Gallery

Is collecting and investing in Philippine art really relevant and an enviable opportunity? What is Philippine art? Are those art done by Filipinos elsewhere considered Philippine art?

My concern is not necessarily confined to all topics or things Filipino but that which are common to all peoples of this world. Divorce, separation, apostasy and all those negative things affecting a person are serious matters of concern and art could play an important role to help people become enlightened. But if I myself is lost morally and spiritually what good is my art if my concern is only fame and money?

And what happens to an artist whose life remains miserable after the glare of spotlights focused on him and his art fades after each and every media-hyped exhibition?

What's this mysterious image in the mural all about? If you want to know about it plus some more surprises about this new art piece just come and visit SARA SENE GALLERY.

TINY STUDIO+ : DAY 11

2008-06-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

The mural after DAY 11.

At this point the main elements that I intended to include in the mural are already there but it will take several days more to do the necessary refinements until I achieve the perfect effect that I have in mind.

It's a tricky job to document the progress of this mural simply because I am not a professional photographer. But today I discovered a way to get rid of the strong effects of those overhead directional lights on each mural panel. I switched them all off, including the fluorescent lights inside the gallery, and instead used the floodlight to achieve a more even distribution of light on the mural before taking pictures.

I could only work for several hours on this project each day because my eyes are getting tired looking at it. Although it is very hard to do this painting there is a compelling reason why I am still doing it. Let's wait for the issue of The Sun to come out first this weekend before I upload my whole explanation regarding the meaning of this new art piece.

Can you guess what technique am I using to be able to achieve the purpose of painting that hidden image in this mural? At this stage it is not yet very clear in the photo.

A LONG-TIME FRIEND

2008-06-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

It's really good to be visited by a long-time friend. John Batten and I had met in 1997 for the first time when I had my first exhibition at his gallery with fellow artist Justo Cascante. We have both witnessed the growth amid struggles of the art of the Hong Kong-based Filipino artists.

I reminisce those times we have dinner or sip coffee with Justo every time the late Santi Bose visits Hong Kong.

Ahhh! Friends and artists ... they come and go and some pass away so quickly!

John, aside from organizing the very interesting yearly ArtWalk, is also busy in his advocacy to preserve Central's wet market and the SoHo district as a whole. He also writes and comments
about art and on Hong Kong's cultural and arts policies.

No, this is not Gotham City. It's Lan Kwai Fong at night. Interesting architecture gives character to a place and this area (and particularly SoHo district) is one tourist spot that helps promote Hong Kong. It reminds me of Vigan in Ilocos, Philippines wherein those old Spanish-type architecture of those antique houses gives character to that place in this age where everyone's so interested in the property market wants to get rid of historical sites.

I was in Vigan more than two decades ago with my brother Nelson and the Philippines-based photo-ethnologist Eduardo Muñoz-Seca where we went around the city to admire its architecture and enjoy the time-warp experience.

No! They're not shooting the movie Batman. This is just another scene on LKF every time I finish one day painting my mural in SARA SENE GALLERY here in the heart of Lan Kwai Fong.

TINY STUDIO+ : DAY 10

2008-06-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

The mural after DAY 10

This is the stage wherein all the colors and shapes combined are adjusted in relation to the whole composition to achieve the desired image.

It is a painstaking job to adjust them all little by little and part by part.

A NEW MODEL

2008-06-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

I felt happy to have new visitors very late tonight at the gallery. The sweet couple Roy and Elizabeth came and here's Roy artistically posing for the sketch.

Many thanks to Elizabeth, an artist and my colleague at the Hong Kong Mural Society. She's the one who introduced me the idea about blogging.

There's a mysterious form gradually appearing as I continue painting on this mural.

The closing party of TINY STUDIO+ will be on Tuesday, June 24 at 6 pm - 9 pm. The mural will be available for viewing at the SARA SENE Gallery until July 2, 2008.

MORE PHOTOS

2008-06-20T12:49:00.001-07:00

Chop sticks? Paint brushes!

Sara, me and Mr. Waswani

Me, Gabby and Sara

TINY STUDIO+ : DAY 9

2008-06-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

The mural after DAY 9

My Indian friend Lekha. She admires Philippine art and it's elating to hear about it.

My athletic friend Edward. He is a good role model and inspiration to young kids and teenagers because of his sports, his art and his spirituality.

This world is full of problems and sad stories of people young and old, rich or poor. While some preachers focus on money as the object of prayers and the remedy to help the poor, it is very much of greater value and importance to focus first on how to love our Almighty God the Father first more than anything else and above all.

To follow the First Commandment first is to win the love of our Almighty God the Father for us. If we have this, then we will be able to help and love others correctly instead of being a burden to them.

Are you familiar with the 2nd Commandment? Are these spiritual topics relevant to my mural and to the Philippine Arts Festival? It is!

TINY STUDIO+ : DAY 8

2008-06-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

The mural after DAY 8

Me sketching Artist Paul Gustilo

A BUSY WEEK AND, A PAINTING AUCTIONED.

2008-06-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Me and fellow artist Paul Gustilo (also from Iloilo, my province). No! We are not martial artists (I hate violence now). We are visual artists.

It's the Philippine Association of Hong Kong ball (more photos here by Butch Durias). What a change of environment! That's my lovely wife at the center.

Hong Kong Barrister Ms. Ody Lai officiating the auction of my painting GLITZ AND GLAMOR.at the PAHK Ball at Conrad Hotel, Hong Kong.

GLITZ AND GLAMOR is the second painting I did for this association of Filipino professionals in Hong Kong. The first was THE CHANGING TIMES.

An excellent performance by Ms. Bituin Escalante

What a privilege to be seated at the head table! I did not expect this to happen. Many thanks to our Almighty God the Father for this. It is inevitable for artists to socialize sometimes...but I prefer a simpler life.

Me and my wife with the Philippine Mt. Everest team.

Weeks and days before June 12 and after is usually busy when all the celebrations here and there to commemorate the Philippine independence drive people crazily excited and preoccupied. I'm glad to meet again Mrs. Milabel Amar of Amnesty International.

We had the Philippine Consulate Ball at the JW Marriott Hote l Here I am with Consul General Vicente, the Vice Consul for Cultural Affairs and some friends

TINY STUDIO+ : DAY 7

2008-06-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

The mural after DAY 7

.Today I was interviewed by Ms. Smiley Julve of The Sun regarding the real meaning behind this piece of art. So as not to preempt the article in the next issue of this paper, I will upload what I have written about the story behind this mural at a later date.

I have very interesting ideas behind why I did this plus other stories gradually unfolding as I continue to work on this piece every time I visit this gallery.

As for you readers, there is suspense involved while waiting for the final look of the mural but as the artist I have already finalized it in my mind however sketchy and abstract it may still seem to be.

Btw, Smiley also posed in front of the mural as I sketched her shadow.

JUNE 12 NEW PHOTOS

2008-06-12T19:23:00.001-07:00

Ms. Clare Morin of TIMEOUT MAGAZINE

It was a busy day this June 12. We were interviewed on RTHK Radio 3 at 12 noon and now with TIMEOUT Magazine at 6 p.m. At 6:30 is the ball at Marriot Hotel for the 110th Philippine Independence Day celebration.

Generally, this is a good year for Filipino artists as blessings keep on pouring-in.

TINY STUDIO+ : DAY 6

2008-06-11T13:48:00.001-07:00

The mural after DAY 6.

Everyday...patiently...I try to add more and more elements on the canvas. This progression reminds me of how life gets more complicated as the person continues to be ambitious. The more wealth one has the more things one accumulates and the more one tends to become insecure especially on how to safeguard this wealth.

A call from a gallery visitor.

Bro. Robert Reyes and Meneaka. I did a previous project with the running priest as an advocacy against fraternity violence.

Another figure added to the mural.

Art is only a tool by the Almighty God the Father through the artist to spiritually enlighten people but not to serve as a means to practice idolatry and leave people to remain to live in spiritual ignorance. There are a lot of interpretations about a piece of art and it is the artist who knows its real meaning according to how he conceptualized it. Therefore, in the practice of Christianity, the real and in-depth knowledge of the Holy Bible, with the help of the Holy Spirit, directs the believer to the right path. This is in stark contrast to people simply kneeling in front of images made by artists and craftsmen yet are spiritually ignorant themselves about what really pleases the Almighty God the Father.

Real Christian spiritual enlightenment based on the Holy Bible and guided by the Holy Spirit enables and emboldens a person to face the real world that is full of confusion, full of problems and obstacles as confusing as what this mural tries to depict.

Lan Kwai Fong at night right after I finish one painting session.

This marker here in Hong Kong honoring Dr. Jose Rizal comes to mind each and every June when the Filipino community celebrates its independence.

But what is real freedom?

Kindly visit http://spiritualjourney14.blogspot.com/

TINY STUDIO+ : DAY 5

2008-06-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

The mural after DAY 5

More romantic moments

Of curse I went home everyday to take a bath and change my shirt. It's just that it is so comfortable to wear white T-shirt on rainy but humid days here in Hong Kong.

BTW, I got this new press release of the 3rd Philippine Arts Festival here in Hong Kong. The whole event was formally launched at the Peak Galleria

You will be seeing more art and photography of Hong Kong-based Filipino artists there until June 29, 2008.

TINY STUDIO+ : DAY 4

2008-06-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

The mural after DAY 4

People might be wondering why and how I thought of using other people's shadows to include in my mural by tracing them on the canvas surface. Well, here is how the whole idea started:

One evening way back in 1988, as we in the big group of artists in Iloilo were busy preparing for the local arts festival there (Hublag) and wherein the large wall installation piece of my brother Nelson was the centerpiece of the whole exhibition, I was taking a rest in one corner of that spacious Philippine National Bank (PNB) lobby. I noticed that I was not alone as my shadow sits right next to me and it was distinctly emphasized on the wall because of the strong industrial floodlight positioned facing the wall a few meters away from me.

Instantly an idea struck my mind and I took one of the empty wooden crate boxes, a brush and cans of paint, and started tracing my shadows as I moved from one somewhat dramatic position to another. The whole technique created a series of overlapping silhouettes which I painted in different colors. I finished the new artwork a few hours later.

As we started the arts festival the next morning, a local rich art collector got so interested in that new painting I did.

It is interesting how my mind travels while I continue to maintain this thing called patience just to meticulously work on this large complicated painting until it is completed and done. My mind is preoccupied with making an imaginary list of the things that I want to include in the picture. To aid me in this process I just thought of what people buy or collect or throw each day since they were young. I also tried to recall things I used or came across with all these years.

I also thought of how a virgin piece of land, with its natural beauty, starts to be raped by tourists and the commercial establishments that go with them and therefore gradually deteriorates into another polluted stinky place with all the uncollected rubbish becoming eyesores to a developed place while the problem of waste disposal becomes so serious.

Just imagine how much money were spent on these things and to make a list of these means volumes upon volumes of these lists which will only end when one dies. But while some people only bother to make a list of earthly things to do before they die, isn't it a lot wiser to think of what more important things to have in the after-life?

Truly, we cannot carry our wealth and all these heavy baggage of material things offering temporal joy and comfort to heaven. The necessity and importance of those riches we need to store in our Almighty God the Father's Kingdom that Lord Jesus Christ promised blurs the idea of fighting for material things that we have accumulated all these years, especially those gained through questionable means, while the epidemic called corruption infects those who are aiming for power.

I experienced poverty myself and aimed to have wealth too. But there is this fear in me to get rich especially because what I experienced here in Hong Kong where one has to force himself to transfer to more cheaper flats meant to do again and again the routine of packing and unpacking one's belongings until such time that there's no more choice but to throw some of these because there are no more space to store them.

Matthew 6:20-21

"Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."

TINY STUDIO+ : DAY 3

2008-06-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

The mural after DAY 3

The interview

Mary Ann, Charito, Meneaka & Sara. This is the same Indian restaurant where me, Sally, Justo, Jen, John Batten and the late Artist Santi Bose had our lunch more than 10 years ago.,

TINY STUDIO+ : DAY 2

2008-06-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

The mural after DAY 1

A few images...

and outlines.

Patience...patience...patience...

The lovely couple Val and Myles

Alberto.

Artists Tito Cascante, Arnel Agawin and Rowena Gonzalez with my wife Sally.

Tito and Arnel are having a show at Osage SoHo Gallery with Bobit Segismundo and Charlie Co. Rowena will finally have her interesting installation project in the few months to come.

TINY STUDIO+ : THE OPENING NIGHT (more photos)

2008-06-03T20:22:00.001-07:00

A brief introduction before the sketching session.

PhilArtsHK Society vice chairman Aldrin Monsod with some of the Hong Kong-based Filipino artists that will participate in this year's 3rd Philippine Arts Festival, Hong Kong June 2008.

The truth is... we all share the same challenging reality of making art in Hong Kong in between our professional jobs.

TINY STUDIO+ : THE OPENING NIGHT

2008-06-03T10:20:00.001-07:00

Waiting...

The first guest

Gallery owner Artist Sara Sene at the center with Manny, Dante, Martin and Aldrin (Vice Chairman of Philippine Arts & Cultural Society, Hong Kong)

Tony, Jojie, Joel, William and Errol

Some of the Hong Kong-based Filipino artists

Meneaka Sene, Sally Ferraris, Sara Sene and Rex Aguado of Review Asia

More guests

Joel sketching the shadow of Karina (she's now a teenager and I did a portrait of her when she was still a little girl )

Nice hair!

More guests!

Long hair all!

A FILIPINO ARTIST’S ART- MAKING IN HONG KONG

2008-06-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

By Joel Eugenio Epistola Ferraris

Beyond The Gallery

Most of the time people just appreciate or buy and collect art without having an iota of knowledge about the lives of artists or how they manage to do their art. There is a big difference between just merely grabbing a piece of art to boast to friends and appreciate its true value or even be enticed to become an artist as well and realizing the rigors and challenges faced by artists while in the process of producing their art pieces.

There are various means by which artists devise ways just to produce art. Here in this city where space is measured in square feet, an extra room or flat to be utilized as studio means money. Renting a studio in a village or in an industrial area is even more expensive especially when one realizes that every piece of art produced does not mean that the equivalent monetary returns will immediately come flowing in.

Moreover, there are artists who feel more convenient and relaxed doing their art privately while some are gifted with the discipline to focus on doing art in public, oblivious of the prying eyes of curious onlookers who are instant impatient critics as well.

I am a muralist and my experience in doing public art for the Hong Kong Mural Society brought me to the reality that I have to paint in public while at the same time our ongoing projects and its processes become public spectacle. This community based art projects not only inspire would-be artists but also make people more aware about art appreciation.

A New Environment, A New Reality, A Tiny Studio

When I decided to join my wife here in Hong Kong in 1996 I made it a point to adjust to the new environment I live in and do my art. Our flat in South Horizons that we shared with another couple became my first studio which I used the whole day every weekday when my wife and our flat mates leave for work as professionals. There I was able to produce several art pieces, mainly oil on canvas, and I managed to keep them safe so as not to annoy our flat mates. It was tricky and a bit cleverly done how I did it especially when it comes to the problem about the paint odor. The toilet and bathroom exhaust fan helped a lot.

A year later I and my wife moved to a new place and since we have no kids yet I had the freedom to make the new flat my studio. There I hanged all the blank canvases on the walls and painted on each and every one of them every day, This technique of simultaneously doing several pieces at the same time meant that there were no paints wasted because I made it a point to apply them all on the canvas. Besides, my chosen style requires a lot of meticulous work to deal with each and very detail of the paintings. For several months of religiously doing this I was able to produce several art pieces.

My full freedom to paint freely inside our flat ended when our first baby was born. Aside from the fact that I have to stop painting for several months because I was babysitting, I had no choice but to find other means to produce art. This new situation wasn’t a problem at all because I still managed to paint by making our not-so-spacious living room my make-shift studio this time because I have to place a “wall” to prevent my crawling and growing son to intrude into my tiny “territory.” I also decided to forget about using oil paints for the time being and preferred acrylics. The bathroom was also mainly utilized sometimes as a painting area especially when I have to prevent the paint odor to spread inside our flat. The exhaust fan there helped a lot to solve this problem. It was funny how my studio have grown smaller as my son grew bigger each day especially when he learned how to go and “tear down” those “walls” as soon as he learned to walk.

Inevitable Opportunities

Basically, some of the above reasons were behind why I was hesitant to accept an invitation in 1998 to have a solo show at Shaw College Gallery at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. It was no joke to produce a substantial body of works to fill-up that spacious gallery in that university.

Artists like me have several things to consider before embarking into our journey as professional artists. These are ideas, resources, time and studio. If one of these are impossible to have the whole plan suffers. I for one am blessed to have them all given the fact that it is my faith in the Almighty God the Father through Lord Jesus Christ that keeps these blessings flowing in their own perfect time.

Given the somewhat difficult situation above and the equivalent opportunities at the same time I again have to devise ways on how to produce art in an environment in which not only one but two kids are now sharing the flat with me and my wife plus the nanny. The solution was – a change of tactics. This time again the living area, a more spacious one, served as my studio where I started painting when all of them were sound asleep. The whole night was just as busy as daytime as I did a systematic routine to work on each and every canvas and other surfaces. I successfully made my first solo show here in Hong Kong. Thanks a lot to our Almighty God the Father.

Faith Amid Uncertainties

The dreaded SARS brought fear to Hong Kong in 2003. At the same time my wife had lumps in her breast that were suspected to be cancerous. But it was at this most difficult times that a clear blessing from our Almighty God the Father, as I prayed to Him through Lord Jesus Christ, that I got a big commercial project as a muralist. This opportunity allowed me to rent a more spacious and private studio space with high ceiling in an industrial area. In there was more freedom to do art especially the mixed media ones and even larger ones. That studio space helped my art to open more doors of opportunity. (Read the whole of the story here)

My third solo show, FREE FLOW, was made possible through an invitation from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, USA. Artist / Fine Arts Professor Kong Ho was instrumental in including me to the university’s Spectrum Series. This new opportunity entailed a lot of preparations and contemplation. It was a hard task to conceptualize, prepare and complete a body works for a solo exhibition. Given a new and favorable studio environment, I did large and modular pieces for the US. But the most significant and important thing here was to put together in one exhibition all my new experiments on other styles, mediums and techniques by utilizing newly found objects as materials in producing new and original pieces of art.

Trust in the Almighty God the Father vs. Uncertain Future, Unsure Direction

News of events all around the world, both good and worst, cannot escape a keen artist’s attention and imagination. These are then translated into surfaces such as canvases as pieces of art. While the art market seems to be so promising, as evidenced by the sprouting of new art galleries here and there, I still question my role as an artist and the purpose of my art.

Will the art market dictate the direction of an artist or vice versa? Will art produced, that fuel a lucrative art market, remain merely as statements against serious personal issues while the solutions remain unreachable?

As I grow older I heard of my fellow artists pass away while some, without having the chance to reach their goals or do justice to their talents, became content with maintaining their jobs so as to support their family. In my case I just depend on and trust the Almighty God the Father for whatever my future will be.

TWO LANDSCAPES, TWO CHILDHOODS II

The theme of the mural-sized four-panel painting that I am going to do is all about the environment in relation to my life’s experiences and what I observe in this ever-changing world. It is the same as the first art piece I did in 2006 in my first North American solo art exhibition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania titled TWO LANDSCAPES, TWO CHILDHOODS and in other paintings of similar themes.

Imagine that one day you suddenly thought of making a list of all the things you bought, kept for some time and have thrown away as rubbish since you were young. Surely that would be a long list.

WHEW!

2008-06-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

Unknown to people, bringing up the four large canvas panels to SARASEN GALLERY was never that easy. I miscalculated the height of the lift door.

I realized that the lift door of the industrial building where my studio is located is a few inches higher than that of the lift door of Winner Building where SARASEN GALLERY is presently located.

Therefore, I have to carry them all 4 pieces of 4 feet x 8 feet canvas panels through the stairs five floors up myself! It's all about sheer determination.

Wow! That's lots of sweat coming out there...enough to release all toxins from the body of a 49 year old man.

The experience was both bad and good. Bad because there's not enough time to call those expensive movers to lift all the stuff up to the gallery ... but good at the same time because I began to flex my old muscles of youth in the hope of regaining them.

Maybe it will take time before I reach that level wherein everything is offered on a silver platter and where what I only have to do is continue doing art and they will sell. But if the price I have to pay for this luxury do not go with my direction as an artist then I better continue struggling... with my Almighty God the Father always there as my guiding Light.

THE ARTIST & HIS WIFE

2008-06-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

JOEL EUGENIO EPISTOLA FERRARIS

Filipino Artist/Muralist

Joel Eugenio Epistola Ferraris was born in Iloilo City, Philippines, on April 5, 1959 into a family of self-taught artists.

The eldest among the five siblings, he started to hone his skills at a very young age and joined his first art competition at the age of 9. From then onwards, he and his siblings reaped awards by joining art competitions and took part in art exhibitions every year.

After studying Architecture at the University of the Philippines, he went fulltime as an artist. Trained and skilled in painting because of the numerous portraits he did in the past, he was commissioned by GUESS? USA in the Philippines to do a 100 feet long mural in line with the apparel company’s Anti-AIDS campaign that was co-sponsored by the Department of Health of the Philippines. The late actress and GUESS? USA model Anna Nicole Smith unveiled the mural “ARMOR OF GOD” which was displayed on the facade of Rustan’s in Makati, Philippines in 1994.

In 1996, Joel moved to Hong Kong to join his wife who works as an IT Consultant. He joined the Hong Kong Mural Society after painting “Lek Yuen Jewel”, his very first mural designed for the Hong Kong Housing Authority. A 66-foot mural depicting marine life, this vibrant piece of public art won the 2nd best mural award in a publicly judged competition.

Soon Joel became the mural society’s vice chairman and took part in the group’s more than 100 mural projects all over the territory, including the painting of Hong Kong’s giant mural in Tsing Yi Island with compatriot Artist Arnel Agawin.

In a two-man art exhibition “Rapid Reflections” at the newly opened John Batten Gallery in 1997, Joel teamed-up with another Filipino artist, Justo Cascante. This opportunity introduced him to Hong Kong’s art scene, especially when he was interviewed on CNN International.

A series of art projects ensued and his cooperation with his artist compatriots led to the start of the Philippine Arts Festival, an annual Filipino arts and cultural event in Hong Kong. He also constantly joins multinational group exhibitions like the ArtWalk, the Gambling Show and CityPoetry organized by John Batten. At the same time, Joel is represented by the John Batten Gallery in Hong Kong.

Despite his diminishing penchant for art competitions, his painting titled NEOPHYTE was chosen among the Top 30 Finalist of the first Sovereign Art Prize in 2004 in Hong Kong, while his younger brothers continue to garner awards in the Philippines.

After his solo shows in the Philippines and Hong Kong, Joel was invited to the USA by the University of Pittsburgh in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 2006 to put up a solo show titled “FREE FLOW” as part of the Spectrum Series program of the University of Pittsburgh in Bradford. Being the first Filipino invited to this prestigious multicultural and multinational event, he exhibited what amounted to a retrospective of his works, revealing his true nature as an artist not afraid to discover new styles and innovations in the discipline called art.

For the past decades of art-making, Joel E. Ferraris finds fulfillment when he introduced several original techniques and styles starting from devising ways to do art in his home province in the Philippines way back in the late 70s by using indigenous materials and continued to explore the possibilities of newly found objects, mediums and his newly developed styles in Hong Kong in the new millennium.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“To me, a free flowing life means to be guided by the Divine Light and to swim into that life-giving water in which one is able to gently hurdle or evade life's many obstacles while maintaining a certain balance in one's career, family life, social responsibilities and most of all moral and spiritual obligations.” Joel E. Ferraris

THE CANVASES ARE READY!!!

2008-06-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

TO THE GALLERY

2008-06-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

Here's the way to the gallery at 27-37 D'Aguilar St. in Lan Kwai Fong

The entrance to Winner Building

The SARASEN Gallery 5th Floor Winner Building in Lan Kwai Fong

GETTING READY

2008-06-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

The four large canvas panels are ready for transport. Here I am waiting for the van to arrive.

LARGE CANVAS PANELS' PREPARATIONS

2008-05-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

The four large blank canvases are prepared in my studio in Tsuen Wan. They are first stretched on the wall and painted with several coatings of gesso before attaching to canvas stretchers. These will then be transported to the gallery in Lan Kwai Fong.

I always make it a point to stretch the canvas on flat and smooth plywood walls, spray with water evenly and allow to dry. This will prepare the surface neatly and smoothly without wrinkles for the gesso application. And just like buying and using pre-coated canvases, this approach will allow the canvas to be neatly wrapped around the wooden canvas stretchers especially when some people prefer not to use frames when hanging paintings on the wall.

JUNE 3-24, 2008 at SARASEN GALLERY, HONG KONG

2008-05-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

Now comes the 3^RD PHILIPPINE ARTS FESTIVAL HONG KONG, June 2008:

Kindly visit the website to see all of the events:

http://www.philartsfesthk.com/

In line with this arts and cultural event I am going to have an exhibition .

TINY STUDIO +: Filipino Artist J O E L E. F E R R A R I S
in a live painting performance from June 3, 2008 until June 24, 2008

Launching date: June 3, 2008 (6:00 p.m.)
Closing Party: June 24, 2008 (6: 00 p.m.)

For details and regular updates please visit

http://ferrarismuralist.blogspot.com/

This solo exhibition and performance are all about my experiences here in Hong Kong as a visual artist from the Philippines forced by circumstances to live and do art inside “luxurious boxes” in this world city.

On the opening date of the exhibition, I will start to paint randomly small images on several large blank canvas panels inside this art gallery. The exhibition venue setting is reminiscent of my first experience in doing art here in Hong Kong when I arrived in 1996 and, likewise, of how I worked on very large mural projects for clubhouses given the limited space I had in my studio in an industrial building.

The challenge is how to produce these pieces given these circumstances and put them altogether as one later, view them from the best distance to see the hidden meaning and image and transport them to wherever a transient artist or art collector would like to go, and to let the whole combined art pieces mutate and adapt to the given situation depending on the new place of residence.

On the closing date, guests will be seeing the mural as a finished art piece. A possible relocation of the whole mural to another bigger and more spacious venue, preferably in a public place, will allow viewers to see the final hidden image that completes the message of this large art piece.

The rest of the story are found here: http://ferrarismuralist.blogspot.com/

SARA SEN GALLERY & STUDIO PLUS

27-37, D’ Aguilar Street, Winner Building, 5th Flr-A, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2525 6984

Email: gallery.sarasen@gmail.com

Web: www.sarasene.com

COMING SOON!!!!

IT RUNS IN THE BLOOD: The Ferraris Artists Group Show

Opens July 4, 2008 (6:00 p.m.)

SARA SEN GALLERY & STUDIO PLUS

See more of the Ferraris Art online at http://ferrarisart.blogspot.com/

TINY STUDIO

2008-03-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

1996.

When you live in a high-rise building where the flats offer limited space you have to adjust to the given area in order to do art. This will have an effect on the way you think about what art piece to do and the way to produce it. This is what happened to me in my first year in Hong Kong.

Living in a somewhat luxurious flat in South Horizons shared with another couple made me think of ways to start painting. I was in a way lucky that my wife and the couple we shared the flat with were all professional office employees who worked from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. It means that the whole flat is mine within the span of time that they were away. What I did was organized a way to make the most of the space and time I had then.

Before anything else, and aside from going around to see all of Hong Kong with my wife and friends on weekends, I managed to prioritize visits to art galleries, to museums and locate all the art supplies stores in the city. It was then that I started collecting my art materials.

I was happy to start the first ever oil on canvas painting that I did in Hong Kong. The title was NEOPHYTE, a four-piece painting in modular composition. The idea behind it was all explained here. Later NEOPHYTE became my entry to the first Sovereign Art Prize art competition in 2004.

The flat where we lived has a carpeted sala and I have to do a routine of covering the whole floor with newspapers to start painting. I painted by placing the canvasses on the floor and viewed the art piece from a distance by climbing up the sofa for a better angle.

It was one of my most relaxed and convenient way of doing art despite the limited space because I have the refrigerator and the TV within reach.

I didn't bought an easel then for the reason that space in Hong Kong is very limited and besides there is no more room to store it. So each day that 5 p.m. approaches I started tidying-up the place and kept my four pieces canvas boards in a slim but safe space.

Part of those early obstacles that I have to deal with was the odor of the oil paint. It was good that the bathroom and toilet, the place where I usually placed the artworks for drying, has an exhaust fan. This has helped to minimize the strong odor.

With all these considerations came the birth of a modular type of art pieces that were designed to adjust and blend with the limited wall areas that high-rise and densely populated cities are so typical of. This concept is clearly explained in "BUY ONE, TAKE MORE."

In this first makeshift studio I had, I experienced some sort of solitude and fulfillment especially when I was able to complete NEOPHYTE. Ironically, though, it was some sort of a retreat to give me space to reflect and come up with the idea behind this painting which was a result of a lingering problem about a culture being perpetuated by people so involved in Greek and Roman-lettered societies. I was involved in it in the past and this is the reason why I started A FRATMAN'S OASIS

LEK YUEN JEWEL

2007-10-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

LEK YUEN JEWEL mural by Joel E. Ferraris in Shatin, Hong Kong (click image to enlarge mural)

It was February 1998. I just came back from the Philippines with my first-born son to join my wife in Hong Kong. While she was working full time as an IT consultant, I was the full time baby-sitter to our 3-year old baby boy.

That time we have no nanny yet so I do all the house chores. I know all of these as we were trained by our parents ever since we were kids. It really helped a lot to know how to survive first at home and then in the outside world.

A few weeks later we got a nanny and that was the time I started looking for jobs. I called a friend, a Chinese artist, Tony Ng, and he invited me to join, as an apprentice, to their mural projects.

When I finally met the chairman of the Hong Kong Mural Society, Artist Kong Ho, he assigned me to do one mural in Lek Yuen Estate in Shatin. That was my very first mural in Hong Kong.

The good thing about this project was I was given the freedom to practice my artistic license. My originally conceived design, an underwater "paradise" was approved by the Housing Department. To an artist that was really a good feeling especially when no such major revisions were made and the client fully respects the artist's ideas.

I started painting the small study of the mural in Iloilo City, Philippines, when I went for a vacation and mailed the finished design to Hong Kong Housing Department for approval. What ensued was a 21 nights of painting that mural from 6 pm till midnighton that 6 feet x 66 feet wall.

IN 1998

2007-10-27T12:04:00.001-07:00

How I started to paint murals in Hong Kong and eventually became involved in the Hong Kong Mural Society is a long story. It was and still is an experience that I enjoy in-between tea-time while struggling with my chopsticks as we ate dumplings together with other Hong Kong muralists.

The chain of events that allowed me to start as an assistant muralist to Artists Celia Ko and Tony Ng when they painted three murals for for Hong Kong's housing estates sponsored by the Housing Department of Hong Kong. The first was in Tak Tin Estate in LamTin, the next was in Pak Tin Estate in Shatin and the third was in Shan King Estate in Tuen Mun .

These early collaborations with the group of muralists led me to finally meet Artist Kong Ho and the rest of the gang of muralists.

Starting with 12 murals in 12 housing estates, the Hong Kong Mural Society has now produced more than 100 murals all over Hong Kong.