If you have not been around this blog for long, you’d know that watercolor is one of the new things I learned while being stuck at home due to pandemic in 2020. I touched the brush and paints for the first time sometime August that year and wrote a blog about how it all started in: “My Watercolor Journey: How I Started and Where to Get Supplies and Free Tutorials”.
I drew and painted at least once a day, learned and re-learned things about the medium, and watched free tutorials on YouTube. If you click the active link, it will bring to the blog I wrote about my favorite watercolor channels in YT. It’s primarily due to these four teacher artists that I learned the basics of watercolors and illustration. Two months after my brush with watercolors (pun intended), I applied for membership with the Philippine Guild of Watercolorists after being invited to join by fellow mommy watercolor enthusiasts. I was too shy to participate in any of the guild’s activities the first two years because I wasn’t confident enough to share any of my works having seen how good most of the members were. The group holds annual convention for the members but I didn’t take part in any except this year. Although the convention comes with a fee that’s not so pricey at all, I couldn’t get myself to attend for excuses that I now regret I had made. This year I decided my excuses were no longer valid. Despite my newness in the art world, I felt encouraged to attend because the artists I had met in my two-year journey so far have been so kinds and generous to me.
This year paid for access to the convention and even attended the opening session. The opening session was held in GSIS Museo ng Sining in Pasay City where I got to participate in live painting session by none other than my portraits teacher, JC Vargas, some of which are posted here: My Creations. Below are some of the photo highlights of the opening session:
With JC Vargas, one of my art mentors at PGW 5th National Convention after this painting demo.
Live portrait painting demo by Dan Macapugay – the 5th most recognized and multi-awarded watercolor artist in the country.
Fellow watercolor artists waiting for the ribbon cutting of the gallery. I took this photo from second floor after I viewed some of the paintings on display.
Landscape art painted simultaneously by two watercolor masters – Lito Ballaran and Erwin Mallari.
Photo above shows the watercolor masters from left to right – JC Vargas, Tonton Ador, and Dan Macapugay, with their live demo outputs. With them is the current PGW president, Joanne Gacayan. (Photo credits to PGW Convention Organizers)
After the grand opening, I also attended various classes offered by masters as part of the convention privileges. I’d share the photos of my outputs in my next post since I haven’t finished painting them all! 🙂 All I can say for now is that listening to the masters about their experience as well as painting along made me realize so many good things about watercolors – one can always make mistakes you also learn tons in the process. Watercolor may be a hard medium to master but one thing is for sure, I already found my niche. I thank my fellow artists for helping me realize what I want to paint more in the future. 🙂
Cheers, everyone!
The Fabulous Scientist 
What a wonderful experience! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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Thank you. 🙂
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