Posters for Environment

Aside from traveling, photography and writing, my other interest in life is drawing and other related areas about arts. I've been dabbling sketches since I was a preschooler. I remember, my first drawing was an airplane.My cousin who babysat me tried the crude drawing but I polished it by actually looking at the flying airplane. I'm always fascinated by the objects around me. As if, if only I could draw it on paper and capture every detail of a specific object, I can make a difference in my own little way.

Art Influences

My strong influence was the famous cousin of my grandfather, Larry Alcala, who died in 2002 (famous cartoonist and named as National Artist). His last art exposition was in the year 1999 (May) at the Camarines Sur Provincial Complex. Although, he stayed for a long time in the USA due to the suppressive Marcos regime, he didn't forget his beloved country, the Philippines, and continue to contribute major tabloids and newspaper through his caricatures and cartoons via Kalabog en Bosyo and Spice of Life. He pioneered basic commercial art in UP that paved the way to the country to be one of the major sources cartoon artists who are commissioned by DC or Marvel Comics in the USA or even in Japanese anime productions to lend theirr artistic hands.

Tracing Drawings

My early attempts were tracing drawings from the books of my elder sister. I imitated them because she was spreading kerosene gas to a white coupon bond, before tracing the kerosone gas (ugh!), so I decided that I will do it with my own interpretation. That's why my work on airplane was my initial success.

Trade Drawing

High schoolers in the local Trade School in our city, Naga City Camarines Sur, are always involved in the subject on arts, Trade Drawing. It's one of the elective subjects that enhances your proficiency in a particular field. Boys and girls are taught to exercise freehand drawings up to the technical ones, as in house planning and drawing house perspective.

During this period, my art teacher, influenced me to a more complex and diverse divisions in arts. He said that perfecting basic drawing will drive me to a more lucrative endeavor. I joined poster contests in school, in citywide art contest and earned recognitions that boosted my interest to the Arts.

Painting Apprentice

The local artists in Naga City organized an art group in the 90s. I was one of the early members. There were art exhibition among the youth and seniors that persuaded me to add canvass painting in my art resume. The cost of oil paints, the picture frames we often made are too expensive for me, so I bidded goodbye to my maestro, and said that I'll just stick to poster drawings, first. It is because I didn't have time to dabble on painting due to budget constraint.

Poster Drawings

Now that I have a job overseas, I still didn't lost my interest in art. I always carry an art ledger to dabble my sketches of the place I've visited. Our manning company or even the principal are encouraging us to contribute positive campaign about the protection of the environment, especially marine life.

In 2008, I was given a chance to participate in the poster-making contest by Tsakos Shipping and Trading, SA. I grabbed the two major prices for the said contest. They are currently displaying my works on board the vessels of the shipping company promoting our awareness about the care and protection that should extend to the marine environment.