Be Still. Life is Beautiful

I don't paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality. -Frida Kahlo

Hello friends! Let me share my artworks again.😊 Every weekend, painting has always been my company to occupy my "usually" alone (but not lonely) days. Aside from flowers as my favorite subject in most of my paintings, I also have a tremendous fascination with still life.

I find it so fun focusing more on lights and shadows that make the painting look more realistic. Highlighting the realism in my painting has that unexplainable magical feeling that sparkles within me. It gives me a sense of great accomplishment. It is an artistic reminder that sometimes, life's happiness is not necessarily found in hefty price tags.

Every weekend, the canvas and the paintbrushes are my friends. Well, let me just have a segue in saying a special thanks to my Kuya (older brother) for having the effort to make me a canvas to paint on because he found it expensive for me to buy it in art stores, which I also found so sweet of him for being so supportive😊.

I love eating fruits. They are not just nutritious but never fail to satisfy my sweet tooth as well. That's why I also love painting them, with my references taken from the internet. And in doing a fruit subject, it would be better, well much better, if they look realistic.

One in a melon.

I did it when I was 7-month pregnant. Away from my family. I was excited to finish this because I was about to go home since I planned to give birth to my baby in the province. While painting, while brushing every stroke, is my imagination playing how amazing they would look like if they are hanging on the wall, in our kitchen particularly. As enticing as this watermelon looks, it might feed my family's eyes and soul, by staring at it, with a happy vibe. While doing this, I was so excited to have that one-in-a-million-moments to spend precious times with my loved ones, and share a happy meal at one table with them again.

When life gives you a lemon.

This was a quarantine painting. It was March 2020 when a nationwide lockdown was announced and implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the blink of an eye, the busy world has slowed down. And so was our individual life. We were given the time to reflect on each other's self. How far have we forgotten to slow down and enjoy every day and appreciate even the smallest blessing? We were too busy then to even say thank you to our Creator for lending us a breath of life every single day. So when the pandemic shuts down everything, it was when our emotional and spiritual life was awakened. I got the chance to relax (despite the anxiety brought by the lockdown) and meditate. My spiritual aspect has been strengthened. I talk to God, even more, to praise and thanked Him. And apologizing for sometimes, I often took for granted all the good things He has been giving me all these years.

When life gives you lemon, before squeezing it into a fresh lemonade juice, why not paint it first? We all know that lemon is a good boost to the immune system. So is our prayer, a very powerful tool in boosting our souls to heal. When life gives us problems, pray. Focus on holding on tight to your faith. Paint that worries away and leave it all to Him. And believe that He can brush all that depression and anxiety away.

Cheery-ing up my life.

This painting is a friendly reminder to myself, that every day may not be always good. But there are many beautiful reasons to be optimistic. We may not always have what we want or dictate life to go the way we have perfectly planned, but having a positive outlook in this awful situation is a big help. Cheer up! Everything is going to be okay.

It's a strawberry beautiful life.

Due to our busy lifestyle, we sometimes forget to stop for a while and pay attention to little things. We tend to forget that these small things are the ones that make our life big. Things that we often take for granted that make life beautiful, very beautiful. The stunning ray of the sunrise every morning, the flowers blooming in the garden, your mama's home-cooked breakfast, the aromatic smell of freshly-baked pandesal in the neighboring panaderya, the happy gesture of taho vendor passing by and offering his sweet taho, your baby's morning smile, and cuddles, and all that stuff. These are the very small beautiful things that often go unnoticed and unappreciated.

Dense shaking and overflowing.

This one is my favorite so far. Also painted during the nationwide lockdown last march 2020. Showing God has showered us with fruitful and abundant blessings. They say that when you are overflowing with blessings (siksik, liglig at umaapaw), you should learn to share. Be generous.
"Give and gifts will be given to you; good measure, packed together, will be poured into your lap." as stated in the Bible. As they say, God can only fill us up when we are empty.

Tropical state of mind.

Making sure I have a selfie with my artwork.😁

I also love painting monstera leaves and making them look like real leaves. The green color is just so relaxing. Especially if your eyes are exposed all day to computers. And it gives a big "tropical" vibe.

Weekends are Eggciting.

And who is not excited about weekends? My most awaited day of the week is to stay calm and paint.

Like these paintings, descending into the abyss of realism, let us learn to face reality as it is. And when life sometimes turns you down, be optimistic and be be still.