Living near the sea is like living with art. Everyday I’m in awe, a witness to a stunning masterpiece of the sky at sundown painted in different hues by God. Our house is just few meters from the seashore, and the sea was a fascinating playground for me and my siblings, a memorable part of our childhood days. Daytime would be spent playing in the sea sand, chasing small crabs, collecting pretty shells and trekking to a remote area for more adventure.
My uncle, who used to live with us, would take us to the seashore on late afternoons. While we played around, he would go to an isolated spot, find himself a rock to sit on and draw the scene before him — the sea at low tide with the different sizes and shapes of rocks and the distant waves with the sinking glow of sun amidst the horizon. As a child, it was fascinating to watch him translate to paper the beauty of the sea. He was, and still is, a great artist and I would eagerly browse through his sketches of portraits and nature. My uncle didn’t teach me to draw but his drawings inspired me and made me want to learn how.
When we got home, my siblings and I would excitedly crowd around his sketch book to see the latest addition to his works. As I flipped through the pages, I heard a faint yet sweet voice of art beckoning me to its world of pencils, clean sheets of paper to draw on, paintbrushes, watercolors and crayons. I began to observe things in a different way since then, nature became an excellent art subject for me and I would then sit myself in front of a big tree beside our house with my pencil and paper, and just sketch a detailed version of its lovely trunk.
Later on, art translated itself into more paintbrushes, more watercolors, pastels, charcoal pencils, technical pens, T-squares, drawing tables, tracing papers, illustration boards and other materials needed to complete a course in architecture. My instructors became my inspiration and mentors, they gave me a realistic and practical view of art as applied to buildings and structures. With my current projects and other ventures, my private practice as an architect hasn’t been full time but my relationship with art stays. It has been my constant companion nowadays, as it modernized itself into graphic design, desktop publishing, 3d programs and computer-aided drafting.
Art has revealed itself to me in various wonderful colors and forms — since my childhood attempts at creating it, my early rendezvous with the sea and my uncle’s artistic sketches — its sweet call of friendship has never left me since then.
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sweet. art is timeless.. God’s art is divine.
Posted by paolomendoza at May 8, 2007, 6:16 pmMaayong adlaw! Interesting posts you have here.
By the way, I’m Myke Obenieta, opinion columnist for Sun.Star Cebu and the editor of Sun.Star Weekend Magazine. Our mag has a section called “Blog Plug” where we feature and recommend an interesting blog for our readers to visit. In this connection and with your permission, I would like to print this particular post for Blog Plug. Rest assured that proper attribution is duly considered.
For your byline, may I know your complete name so that your authorship of this post is properly acknowledged? Salamat kaayo, miga!
MykeO
Posted by Michael U. Obenieta at May 8, 2007, 7:37 pm*smiles widely* wowwwwww! =) just read the comment before this. hehe i’m so proud of you yoeee! muahhh!
btw, i learned drawing people from you. kadumdum ka?
Posted by Daisy at May 8, 2007, 10:19 pmWow congrats Carey! Your entry is going to be published on a local daily. Galing! 
Hey I didn’t know you’re an architect. I wish I could say I am one too but, I never took the board exams.
Heck, I don’t even know why I even took the damn course in the first place, haha. 
carey you never fail to amaze me with your words and talentsss request…can you post a sample of your drawings?
BTW,Congratz…you’ll be published! you deserve this.
Rey: Thanks! you’re one of those architects who inspire me with your talents and so humble pa gyud! I’ve still a long way to go…I’ve realized that even though I’m not doing private practice as an architect these days, I should not worry about it, I know in due time I will. My love for art is still there, it just finds its way through other forms…and that’s all that matters.
Paolo: Yes, I couldn’t agree more! Thanks for dropping by ideasnpink.
Micheal: Hi migo! You made my day with this comment! I’ve had very good memories of SunStar Daily and its weekend mag when our family lived in Cebu…I could even blog about that here. so, being published in one of its pages would be an honor. I’ve emailed you already. Thanks for the appreciation. Daghang salamat pud!
Daisy: yoeee…. thanks! about drawing people, hmmm…kadtong gagmay pa ta or college na? hehehe…but nowadays, it’s me who’s forgotten how to draw them! grabe, wala na gyud koy practice. 
Snglguy: Actually, I took the board exams years after I graduated from architecture, so you could say I’m a late bloomer in this field.
About not knowing why you took that course in the first place? well, you speak for the majority of fresh college studes, lol.
Raine: thanksyyyyy! my drawings??? hmmm, I have to look for them in my baul, hahahha…. most of them were borrowed by my Visual Arts instructor, he used them as samples for his class (naks…nanghambog pa), and unfortunately wala na nabalik. tsk tsk… sayanga lagi uy. Sir???? asa na ako mga drawings???? hehhehehe….
I haven’t done any art work lately, my paintbrushes and watercolors are crying na.
Idyllic! That picture you painted with your uncle painting by the sea is just perfect!
Posted by Toe at May 9, 2007, 2:54 pmthere is nothing greater than nature to inspire art, from my point of view as an artist (painter) i never imagined that the effect of nature on my painting would be that much, you see I’m a foreigner living in the Philippines for the past 5 years, i never used green in my paintings before, but getting addicted of the daily amazing show that nature preform just outside my window, somehow my colors started to be taken over by those magical and captivating greens, I’m actually amazed if anybody sees (really look) at the greens around them and have no since of art and poetry in them
Posted by Fad Ismail at May 10, 2007, 2:40 amToe: Thanks! That picture of my uncle drawing by the sea is so clear in my mind ’til now. Those were the best memories of my childhood.
Fad: There’s something about nature that inspires artists. Nature always finds its place in most artworks. Well, they actually awaken the artist in each one of us.
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts!
carey, i just read the sunstar weekend today. Congrats!
I used to draw and sketch a lot when I was in elementary. But my love for visual art failed to take off. Probably not in the genes. he he he.
Posted by Lazarus at May 15, 2007, 11:40 amLazarus: thanks! but am not that happy about it. read here: http://ideasnpink.i.ph/blogs/ideasnpink/2007/05/17/p195/
Posted by ideasnpink at May 17, 2007, 1:20 pmAll comments are moderated. Your comments will not appear here unless approved by the blog owner. Thank you.
Ideas are powerful. A train of thought can make or break, build or destroy. The choice is ours. Our ideas become our future. I believe that life’s meaningful lessons are best learned when shared with others.
Now that’s a common friend i can identify with. nice post, carey…
Posted by Rey at May 8, 2007, 5:51 pm