Who are we? What are we? Why are we?
Pencil drawing after Paul Gauguin
Calbayog City 2024
"Good artists copy. Great artists steal!" - Pablo Picasso
Paul Gauguin was a force of nature. I can spend entire days reading about his life. And his art... I feed off his art.
And being that I am only a good artist I copy his drawings.
Well, now wait a second.. In my defense I don't copy so much as I "interpret."
There's a difference. 🤣
I based the above drawing on this piece by the master.
Mother and Daughter
Paul Gauguin 1891
And...
I got the title for the drawing from Gauguin's imortal questions:
"Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?" - Paul Gauguin
Love you Paul
black sharpie on paper
Miami 2009
I lived in Miami for a few years. I rented a small apartment right on the bay. It was lovely. Land crabs and iguanas used to wander around the yard. Beat that!
Miami has some of the most beautiful beaches on earth. White sands and tropical blue water. I used to hang out at beach cafes and draw.
Back then my main drawing tool was the black ultrafine sharpie. I was into drawing quilts. Crisp black and while images drawn off the cuff.
Here's another one.
Hermanos Gutierrez - Hijos del sol
black sharpie on manila paper
Miami 2010
Bay Harbor beach, Miami, 2009
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A young woman with bangs
8B pencil and finger rubbing
Calbayog City 2024
Bangs make me weak at the knees.
I keep tinkering with this drawing. This is where its at now.
Here's the initial sketch
pencil drawing on watercolor paper
Calbayog City 2024
I just drew this about 30 minutes ago. I know it's not a finished complete drawing but its finished enough that she's talking to me. And I'm listening to her.
I think I'm going to listen to her for a while. Tomorrow is another day.
Update:
I worked on her some more. She's still only half done but she's still talking to me so I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. And it's dinner time.
A young woman with a hair barrette
black sharpie
Hollywood CA 2019
A couple more older drawings just because they're cool.
This morning my eight year old son Sean told me matter of factly, "Frogs can jump higher than the Eiffel Tower."
"No they can't." I said.
"But dad," he said starting to laugh, "the Eiffel Tower can't jump."
Moments like these I just sit back and take it.
Presently he controlled his laugh and asked me,
"Daddy, do you know why dinosaurs don't eat fish?
He looked at me innocently.
"No." I said and braced myself.
"Cuz they're dead!"
He's holding his sides laughing.
We were in my office. I was working on a drawing. He sat down on the floor and began playing with his legos.
Presently he looked up at me and asked, "Daddy, are the suction cups on octopus tentacles like plungers?"
I paused for a moment to take in that image.
"Yah," I said, "pretty much so."
"They don't let in the air." he said knowingly like he'd already figured this one out. Then he stopped and thought for a moment like wait a second..
"Daddy," he asked me, "is there air in water?"
"Well, yah," I said, "There is air disolved in water."
"Then why can't we breath under water?" He asked.
Hmmm.. That's actually a good question. How can I explain..
My mind raced for a moment considering semi-permeable membranes, concentration gradients, oxygen partial pressure, selective transport, hemoglobin binding capacity.. and..
I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
That shit's over.
"Little dude, we're in the Philippines now." I laughed. "Go ask an octopus."
"Hey dad." He said after a moment. "Do you know why the skeleton didn't climb he mountain."
I braced mysef.
"Cuz he didn't have the guts." He said. Running away laughing.
Calbayog City 2024
black sharpie
Hollywood CA 2019
colored pencil, calbayog city, 2025
Ok, its done. I added one more layer of lavender just because lavender is lovely.
Even Sean, my nine year old son, and harshest critic, likes it. So.. it's done.
Leila Pinneiro - Chega de Saudada
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Streets of San Francisco
black sharpie on paper
San Francisco 2003
I was driving through the streets of San Francisco one day in 2003 when I saw a billboard with something like this design on it. I just had a passing glance at it but I though gee, that would be fun to draw.
When I got back to where I was staying I sat down and drew this.
Just like that.
It's kind of cool. Maybe I'll draw it again.
Child of snow
pencil & watercolor
Calbayog City 2024
"I'm just a station on your way"
Winter song - Leonard Cohen
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Message to Michael - Dionne Warwick
Just because I love this song.
We're going on a road trip today. Up to the north coast of the Island. We'll pack the van with my kids and ten or so cousins. And lots of food. And have fun 🤣
Let me tell you about blue...
The Pacific ocean is so beautiful.
if you look
black sharpie
Miami 2010
If you look closely at the edge of a black hole it becomes obvious that the entire universe is made of little tiny things.
black sharpie on manila paper
Miami 2010
We fall astray when we deny nature. 74. Living on a small island in the Philippines.
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