My First Book!

I got my complimentary copies from Adarna House! I'm so happy to have my first children's book published! I've had this dream since high school I think, and I've always listed it in my things to do before I die. I'm taking baby steps, but everything has its own time.

Yey for accomplishments!

With an F

Mga Hayop sa Filipinas is a board book published by Adarna House. Illustration by yours truly.

Also some works in progress...

Hurray for productivity!

As for pottery, I happened to crunch in some studio time over last week's busy schedule and tried something spontaneous...

Tadaaa! My first attempt at making a donut-shape vessel!

Took some time to figure it out!I made a teapot out of this double wall.

I forgot to take a shot of the finished product, sadly. :)

Posting latest ceramic works on next entry.

5.17.2013

Clay Ave Pottery Studio

by Iori Espiritu

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Summer is about to end! I've been busy with a few things for the past months including teaching/assisting at Clay Ave Pottery Studio as i have last year. It has been a colorful summer for us, starting with a TV feature for MYX. (You can view the segment here. Pardon my poor editing skills) Clay Ave also participated in a couple of events. One is at Greenbelt 3 at the Kitchen where we facilitated a ceramic painting workshop with international delegates from PruLife UK. The other one was a Preschool and Summer Workshop Fair at Eastwood Mall. We brought the electric wheel at the venue and made a demo infront of people!

Setting up at Kitchen

40++ international participants

Their works! Acrylic paint on bisque fired bowls.

This is not foodsafe. For decoration purposes only.

Also, did you spot the Jackson Pollock? :)

Photos Copyright (c) Victor Guererro

The following days were spent at the Eastwood Mall.

Four days manning the booth with friends accompanying me from time to time.

We let passers-by try pottery for the first time

Also, old students did a demo!

Overall, it was a tiring but fun week.

Meanwhile at the ceramics studio, students are still getting their hands dirty with clay!

We are on our last batch of students for the summer.

A new schedule will be posted for regular sessions soon!

Visit Clay Ave's website for more details

4.22.2013

Mangroves and Unending Seas

by Iori Espiritu

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After Palasan Island we visited neighboring island of Cabungalunan.

Unlike the first, this island has a dense population.

Some houses would be in stilts by the river. Some are on top of rocks

Also, it is covered with mangrove forests.

There are coves around the island that is only accessible by low tide. It is suitable for picnic areas.

I snorkeled the whole afternoon. Not too many fish, sadly.

Next day was spent back in Sabang, Polillo

This is our backyard.

Blues

Greens

Grasshoppers!!

Also rowed the boat by myself to pass time :)

End

Palasan Island, Burdeos, Quezon

by Iori Espiritu

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Going back to my hometown requires a lot of strength for traveling.

Right after a three-hour ride by land, you have to endure another 2-hour of sitting in a boat.

I love these long road trips just looking at horizons. How landscapes change from rice fields to mountains, from clear Manila skies to the rainy clouds of the Sierra Madres.

Road trips are also a time where my dad and I come up with the most jokes and stories.

We've heard the same jokes for decades but we still laugh at it.

---------

After a day at the town proper of Polillo,

We headed for Burdeos, a neighbor municipality, to visit my lolo and lola's friends.

We rode a four-wheel-drive jeepney.

It rained a little in the morning, making the road rough and uneven.

Roads get bumpier as you progress.

It takes two hours of up and down to get to the main town.

After, we took another boat ride to get to the island of Palasan

Seven of us on a tiny boat!

Palasan Island, Burdeos

Is home to a few residents. It is almost uninhabited!

Whitish-grey sand and kilometers of mangrove forests.

We walked for about 15 minutes to get to our host's house and we passed by just two houses before that.

This is their humble home where we stayed. The bahay kubo

Talahib everywhere. (Also our bathroom)

If we were going to define simple life, this is it. They live without the "necessities" we have.

No electricity except for a solar-powered bulb. No internet, not even a radio.

They work on their backyard to feed themselves, if it isn't enough,

they go fishing or trade their goods for meat.

I can't live this way for long terms but I appreciate what they do.

It is an experience to live their life for once.

3.21.2013

Art, mostly

by Iori Espiritu

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(I have to apologize beforehand for the lack of coherence in my sentences. There are a lot of things that happened in the span of two months that I'm trying to fit in one entry. Also, this is a photodump post. With that said: please read on)

The Philippine art scene is such a wonderful thing!
The first quarter of 2013 is a glimpse of what's in store for the upcoming months. Art everywhere!

1. This is a bit too late but Artfair Philippines happened a month ago. I went there with a couple of friends to check out artworks from different galleries. What I like about this event was how they turned a carpark into an interactive space! Good job

Painting by Hannah Pettyjohn

My favorite series. Mark Justiniani's works depicting depth through optical illusion. Cool!

Rabbit sculpture by Salvador Alonday

2. Nelfa Querubin's restrospective show at Ayala Museum. This is brilliantly titled "Terrain". Her ceramic works are one of a kind, colorful and a true mastery of the craft. We went to the opening last March 4, 2012 and boy, do I have a lot of questions to ask about technique! As of the moment, her other ceramic works are also being displayed in two other galleries (Izukan Gallery, Makati and Liongoren Gallery in Cubao)

3. Art in the Park
This is my first time to participate in Art in the Park with Ang InK members. This is also a first in physically selling my illustrations to the public and it feels good especially that there are people out there that appreciates your work!