I didn't know what to expect on my return to the art world. Its been years. My neglected canvasses were just gathering dust in my chaotic garage in Zürich. I get embarrassed whenever I opened my garage especially when people passed by on my street. So I make sure I only open my garage when no one is passing by. I'll deal with my mess later. You see, I live in a very small Swiss village where almost everybody knows everyone. The Swiss are known as the most organised race on planet Earth aside from the white Germans. I guess its due to the fact that the populace was breed like that. Although I profit from it hugely, I also suffer from panic attack whenever my Gemeinde (Local Community Authority) would call me and tell me that my garbage couldn't be collected because my garbage bin wasn't properly standing on the measurement required by their laws. That is approximately 20 cm from the line of my driveway. And that the colour of my garbage bin should be black and not green and that if I were to use my green bin, I should put a note that says it's the garbage bin. Green bins are for organic garbage like twigs, dead flowers and cut veggies and fruits and etc. Anyway, I had been using that green bin since I started living here in Wettswil since 2001. Additionally, I had been standing that green bin beside my mail box with a one meter distance from the road and my garbage was always collected. This time, I figured I had been tagged because my 18 year old son's party caused a loud mess in my neighbourhood where someone complained. Imagine having a DJ for the night. Surely, it was understandable to complain. The Swiss priced their privacy, peace and quiet more than anything else.
I just bought a black bin and just followed what is required of me. No problem with the Swiss.
Living here in Switzerland as an Asian had taught me many things. I feel Swiss, I act like Swiss especially their punctuality. I speak German and understood Swiss German. I knew that by following the rules of the land would give my life without my Swiss husband comfort and safety.
After years of mental artistic block, the two gay interior designers whom I used to work with went back to Finland to pursue other fields. This is just a tip to my co-artists. you can also sell your artworks through them and I tell you, it is actually more fun than the Gallery shows. During the good times before the global financial meltdown, I got to visit beautiful houses and made art for them. As what the saying goes, nothing lasts forever.
Artists like me are one of the most abused professionals in the entertainment world. Galleries want more percentage in sales than the artist plus we need to pay the galleries for space in order to show. I still haven't bite the last part. I go for 40-60 for my advantage or 50-50 max.
All you have to do is read the history of Van Gogh and see how he lived his life in poverty. It was only AFTER his death when the prices of his paintings shot up. He was just one of the masters that fell on the losing side of the art game. Or perhaps, more factual is that he planted his "ART SEEDS" but he wasn't able to harvest it in his lifetime. Somebody did. In actuality, the harvest profits belong to the controllers in the art world. I lament in this situation and had contributed to the turmoil of my mental block.
Since the rise of my art inspiration went up, I only sold my pieces personally marketing it. Most of the proceeds went to my little charity in Palawan buying the seeds of Pagatpat Trees for the production of more fireflies in the island. I hope in ten years time, it will contribute to the rise of tourist activities and provides some income to some people who cares for them. "Teach the man how to fish and they fish for life".
Artist block will always be in bed with depression and any artist will suffer from it. I just learned to slow down when it hits me and things get cleared up according to the one's individual path.
Gnehm Copyright 2017 Zürich, Switzerland.
.The death of my Swiss husband, being alone and widowed had certainly affected my views of the world. I was hit by a mega spiritual tsunami, I could say and must reorganised my thinking and ways to prepare for my new path.
I went to the Philippines to have a Phoenix Bird tats for my right leg. It had generated ohh and ahhs and yes, disgust from people close to me. I didn't care. It feels like I was born again from the ashes just like the legendary bird!
That was the start.
I began to draw and sketch again in 2015 and even producing my first ¨Tarsier ONE" in my birth country, the Philippines. In February of 2016, "Tarsier One" was finished.
Title "Tarsier One" Medium: Mixed Media (Encaustic Wax, Clay, Acrylics) on Katcha Self- Stretched Canvas.
The making of the Tarsier. Linear Makati, Philippines.
Enlarged Details of the Tarsier. Copyright 2017 Philippines.
