ArtInSite Magazine Launch

Last January 17, we attended the Art In Site Magazine Launch at the Ayala Museum. The Art In Site Magazine is the first magazine for and by Filipino Artists from all over the world. Over 1,700 artists from different parts of the globe contributed two pieces of their art works and were included as covers in the actual magazine.

My contributions were my digital art works entitled I Surrender and Hope Is Innocent.

(Click on the art works to buy the pieces as framed prints)

The magazines with the art works as part of the covers were priced at P3,000.00 while the regular magazines, P400.00. Some of the magazines were sold in the United States.

I was not able to see the actual magazine where my art works were included, they told us that they could have been included in the batch shipped to the US. What we saw were the artworks, including mine and Jun’s works, flashed on the big screen, so i guess that should be enough proof that our contributions were indeed included.

My only gripe was that they could have at least included the pictures of the art works, even in thumbnail sizes, in the inside of the magazine. That way, even if the works were not sold, they would have still been included. And that strange and painful thought of having our contributions end up in the trash can would be eliminated. I think that would be a fitting consolation for the artists, like me, who is happy to just see my work featured in the magazine.

But that’s just me.

I (left) and Jun (right) during the launch

I

The Magazines with the Art Works as part of the covers

Ate Sally

I and Ate Sally

I Recommend: The Reader

If there is one actress that will compete with Cate Blanchett in being THE best actress in her age group in Hollywood today, then it will no doubt be Kate Winslet. I have watched Kate in two of her films in the past weeks, Revolutionary Road and The Reader, both have garnered various awards and were very well received by film critics from all over the globe.

While Revolutionary Road is intense and well-crafted, it is in The Reader that Kate Winslet has raised the bar and gave an indelible and powerful performance; for which I hope she will win that elusive Oscar statue which she so rightfully deserve.

Kate’s strong portrayal of Hannah Schmitz, the 36 year old woman guard who seduced a 15 year old school boy into the interwoven complexities of deception, secrets, sex and love amidst the perilous time of the Holocaust was fierce but passionate. She had this disturbing fear of letting her true emotions show – impenetrable, but not without sorrow and some occasional sparks of happiness.

Equally enimagtic and a delight to watch was actor David Kross who played the young Michael Berg (the gifted Ralph Fiennes was the grown up Michael and was the one who told the story) whom Hannah has seduced and eventually formed a secret relationship with.

It is with this relationship between Hannah and Michael that the film took its cue to unravel its thoughtful take on the raw and sometimes painful realities of love, relationships and morality.

I won’t tell you here why the movie was entitled The Reader and what secret Hannah had so fervently kept because that would be giving away too much.

Reasons to see the movie (in a nutshell!): Kate Winslet and David Kross’ fine performances and full nakedness! A disturbing yet thoughtful theme that will make you discuss it over coffee with your friends.

Whitney Houston reappears beautiful and gracious at BET 2009

I have been a long time fan of THE Whitney-Houston-past. Back then, nobody could ever sing or perform like her. She was like a “beast” on stage, of course in a good and awe striking way. But i also know the problems and tragedies she’s been into since her glory days, some, are sadly self-inflicted, and man, they were bad!

Fast forward to 2008 and post Bobby Brown and drugs and the out-of-this-world travesties, she reappears with Clive Davis at his Pre-Grammy party and the talks of a new album began circulating. The album was allegedly scheduled for a November 2008 release but apparently, Clive and probably the Arista big wigs and maybe Whitney herself thought it was not time yet as Whitney had a mix of bad and so-so performances during her 2008 “unplugged” shows in various venues all over the world. Yes, she had shows. And she wasn’t entirely very good at it. As it seems, THE VOICE was already lost.

In the middle of all these, as i have found out from dedicated Whitney Fan forums, were rumors of surgery, vocal box surgery, or whatever it is called to somehow get your voice back. But all these were mere speculations and hopes, mainly coming from the fans; nothing concrete from Arista or from Clive or from Whitney.

And then surprisingly, Whitney appears looking gracious, beautiful and in-control at the BET Honors last January 17, 2009. THE VOICE, may or may not have comeback, BUT surely, she’s starting 2009 right. I just hope this continues on and is just a preview of better things to come, like coming out with a fabulous album that is stripped-off of commercialism and trying-to-be-in formula. Because Whitney, i believe, is beyond that, the woman has been the most awarded singer in history and she has nothing else to prove but put out a great album and awe inspiring performances.

  

(Courtesy of Classic Whitney Forums)

I Recommend: Seven Pounds

I am not a Will Smith fan. But my perspective of him was changed by this movie. I won’t call myself a fan still, but he has earned my respect as an actor.

Seven Pounds is about a man who intricately plans to give hope, joy and a new sense of life to seven people (based on the universal standard of goodness, which he follows to the “T”) before he commits suicide. Quite a morbid twist on “paying it forward”. Morbid but moving.

The theme may be commonplace and cliche to some, but to most people i suspect it will be dramatically inspiring (it was to me, at least).

Except for the cliche theme, the remarkable thing about the movie though is Will Smith himself, the actor. I’ve never seen Will in any of his films with this great depth and sensitivity. His character just swells in deep loneliness and you are strangely attached, hoping that somehow he will break free of it and continue to live a happy life. You see him giving hope and joy to people, thinking that it would somehow ease his pain, but no. The pain and the loneliness just stays and becomes even more affecting until that one last breath.

Reason to see the movie: If you’re feeling down and you need some lifting up, this movie is a good watch. Strangely, even with it’s tragedies, you still feel the hope and love for life that the film wants to put across. And of course, Will Smith’s performance couldn’t be counted out.