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September 23, 2013 by ligayarose

July 24 – It was a cold morning and all I wanted to do was stay cocooned in bed the whole day. Nanay had reminded me countless times to get ready early so that I will not to be late for my 12nn dialysis session that day. Still, i was late. So late that the the nurses were not happy about it.

Truth be told, each dialysis session is rather long and boring. We sit on a lazy boy chair for 4 hours and there is nothing much to do. I usually sketch, eat, doze or watch what the nurses and other patients are doing. Most patients just sleep and wake up if they want to eat, then sleep again. I guess for most patients, the highlight during these sessions is snack time, when they are able to eat food which are normally restricted between sessions. Orders of the day are usually a burger or two from Jollibee or McDonald’s or a meal from Chowking.

For the record, I haven’t eaten any burger nor chowfan meal during any of the dialysis sessions. Yes, there are times I crave for juicy burgers, but never during these sessions. I usually eat 2 pieces of fresh veggie lumpia (which are sold in the hospital cafeteria) and am a happy girl, BUT that cold day I wanted to eat camote-cue.

No, not just any camote-cue — I wanted those wrapped in lumpia wrapper, deep fried and generously coated with caramelized sugar. The ones that are sold near the hospital where I go to for dialysis. I begged but Nanay would not budge from her seat, just saying “used oil” again and again. What can I do, hooked in the HD machine and all?

I consoled myself by imagining, dreaming the yumminess of the camote-cue. Funny thing, after a quarter of an hour or so I also started imagining a juicy piece of pork barbecue. Ha… I have to convince my self to stop the mental calisthenics for cravings. You know. Pork. Fat. Dangerous ground. Hence, I asked Nanay instead to bring out my drawing materials. After a couple of minutes deliberating on what to draw, I finally decided to sketch this :

Manang Barbecue
July 2013

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August 28, 2013 by ligayarose

My younger sister Bang now has a nice, round big belly. She had two miscarriages before due to blighted ovum, so it was a joy and relief to the family that her third pregnancy is normal.

Since a couple of months ago, she and her husband have been busy nesting for their baby’s arrival. A nice wooden crib and other baby stuff were brought from CDO. They had cleaned and rearranged their room to accommodate a cozy nursery corner. Meanwhile, our older sister and some friends sent early gifts for the baby. All the best for the most anticipated baby.

Bang can be OC sometimes. She wanted elephant-giraffe accents for her nursery corner. She made some elephant artworks (mostly collage) herself but egged me to make a larger giraffe stuff. I like giraffes. They look sweetly awkward and endearing. I love watching them on TV and zoo. But I haven’t drawn giraffes before and preggy sister wanted them.

I planned to draw a cute, cartoony, colorful baby giraffe for the nursery corner. But first, I have to study a real giraffe, so I googled a nice giraffe image, studied it and sketched (and realized that giraffes have beautiful gentle eyes. I love love them!) I added two baby giraffes to finish my first study sketch. After that, I still wasn’t ready to draw the ‘giraffe’ that my sister had requested. My next study sketch was a hatch-and-line group of giraffes, which I did for about five minutes. In fairness, it has some potential, so I shelved it and planned to digitize it later.

I was still mentally creating a cute giraffe when my sister saw my study sketches. And lo and behold, she likes the second one for the nursery. No, she doesn’t like a digitized version. She prefers it hand drawn and monochromatic, too. I guess people do have different preferences. So I made a bigger (and hopefully better) version of the second sketch and before long it was glazed, framed and hung on the wall.

Sketch Study: Giraffes 1
July 2013

Study Sketch: Giraffes 2
July 2013

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August 9, 2013 by ligayarose

One Sunday, three Badjao young ladies visited our church to attend the service. Their sad begging habits aside, I was curiously fascinated with their careless aesthetics — the mix, match and mismatch of the prints and patterns of the skirts and blouses they wore, capped with carefree, loose buns of sun-streaked hair. I really, really wanted to sketch them! Unfortunately, I did not bring any drawing materials nor camera with me that day. Sigh.

Before I slept that night, I sketched one of the Badjaos from memory. Well, tried to. I hope I can take pictures next time I see some Badjaos.

Badjao Girl
July 2013

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August 7, 2013 by ligayarose

There is something soothing about drawing repetitive patterns. While each stroke is deliberate (eye-hand focus), there’s no need to harness the brain’s super powers and crunch muscles to do it. I usually do a tangle pattern when I feel antsy or if I can’t sleep.

Tangle Pattern : Scallops
July 2013

Bird Song
July 2013

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August 6, 2013 by ligayarose

I can see the old papaya (kapayas) plant from our 2nd floor bedroom. Its height (about 6-8 meters tall) as well as its multiple branches are testaments of its age. However, it is the pattern of its trunk that interests me. I have been studying the rough, sequenced ribs for quiet some time, always wondering how to interpret them in a drawing.

Last month, I stopped procrastinating and sketched the papaya. I was happy with my interpretation of the trunk but I soon realized the papaya looked lonely on the paper. So I included the equally old moringa (malunggay/kalamunggay) beside it. Haha I thought the moringa plant was easy to draw. Nope. Between the papaya and the moringa, the latter was a harder challenge.

While sketching the numerous, as in numerous, small leaflets, I realized that both papaya and moringa is a pair bounded by culinary tradition. Add in a plump chicken you have a Filipino comfort food — Tinolang Manok (chicken stew)! I wasn’t planning to draw a chicken but I later gave in to, well, humor. 😀

Tinolang Manok
July 2013

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August 4, 2013 by ligayarose

I am fairly adept at snorkeling since I was a kid. I just love the feeling of weightlessness while on water. And the reef fish and the corals? How can I justly describe their colors, patterns and textures? They are soo exquisite. They are the reason why I want to try snorkeling’s more serious sibling, diving.

I almost had diving lessons about four years ago. One of the owners of a legit dive shop in Boracay Island was so eager to accommodate us (me and some members of the project team). But a bad case of colds I had that time made me decline the FREE diving lessons she offered. I sorely missed that opportunity — she could not reschedule and accommodate us in another slot. They were fully booked for that season.

I don’t think I can dive in the sea anytime soon. So please pretty turtle, will you dive for me?

Turtle Dive July 2013

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August 3, 2013 by ligayarose

I had an appointment for X-ray and blood tests in one of the multitest clinics in the city last month. It was a rare trip downtown so I made the most of it by buying some drawing supplies (the store is just a block away from the clinic). I bought 2 Unipin pens (#3 and #8), a Pilot G-tech (because the store doesnt have Unipin #1) and a sketchpad (small pad, nice paper and very cheap — P16.00 only, have to convince myself not to hoard).

When I got home, I immediately tested the paper. It worked fine with the pilot and unipin pens. I also tested it with one of my old Kurecolor pens (I had the set since 2005, and they all still work fine). The pens did not bleed nor blot. Happy with the results (including the drawing tests below).

This one is for my nephew, Pipoy.

Blowing Bubbles
July 2013

And the other one is for my neice, Hunny.

Princesses
July 2013

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August 1, 2013 by ligayarose

The temperamental pen had outlived its usefulness. I have papermilked it to the last drop of ink. Good thing I found another pen just lying around our balcony-turned-closet. But like its predecessor, its also temperamental. Haha

Whimsical Dream
July 2013

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July 31, 2013 by ligayarose

Neuropathy is a possible complication of patients with kidney failure. Uremic neuropathy affects the nervous system, thus in advanced uremia, delirium and visual hallucinations may develop.

No, I wasnt suffering from delirium nor hallucination when I was singing “bahay kubo” during one of the dialysis sessions last month (and never have been). I was just making a market list of veggies because Nanay asked me to. And to help me recall veggies available in the market, I sang the bahay kubo song (why not?) while sitting on my assigned lazy boy beside the HD machine. Just that.

Yes, it helped me complete the list but, in the end, I also got inflicted with the hated last-song-syndrome. So, to purge the song from my being, I sketched it to oblivion. Haha. I have included all the veggies in the drawing except one.

Bahay kubo, kahit munti,
ang halaman duon ay sari-sari.
Singkamas at talong, sigarilyas at mani.
Sitaw, bataw, patani.
Kundol, patola, upo’t kalabasa.
At saka meron pa, labanos, mustasa.
Sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya.
At sa paligid-ligid ay puno ng linga.

Bahay Kubo Kahit Muniti
June 2013

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July 31, 2013 by ligayarose

I love to mix zentangle patterns with familiar objects in my drawings. I find it fun and relaxing. It helps me gain focus and relieve stress. Zentangles are so easy to create eventhough, at a glance, they may look meticulous and elaborate.

The Tangled Farm was inspired from my trips in the boondocks of Davao; the Paraw from my days in Boracay; and Tangled Coat in memory of my beloved red umbrella.