Tags: Paintings, Visual arts
By Marjorie Gorospe
ANGONO, RIZAL — If a picture paints a thousand words, then Charlie Val’s life as a painter can be one of the best stories told behind the canvass of an artist.
Val, a self-taught artist from Angono which is also known as the art capital of the Philippines, learned how to survive everyday life through painting while other artists struggled to choose between pursuing fine arts or finding a better job to feed their families.
In his childhood, 30-year-old Val did not attend school because his parents could not afford education for him and his siblings. And so he labored at a young age to augment the family income by working in a small restaurant removing duckling’s feathers.
“I remember back then, taking the feathers off one duckling cost one peso, and so if I was able to remove the feathers of 100 ducklings, then I would get paid 100 pesos,” said Val, adding that he was doing his job six hours everyday.
But the blood of an artist hiding in Val soon soo was unleashed when he saw a friend painting on canvass. And so out of curiosity he started to challenge himself artistically.
“That was a turning point in my life when I started asking myself if I could do that (become an artist) and eventually, I did,” said Val who started to earn enough money to buy his first canvass and very first painting materials while 50 percent of his salary as a feather remover was devoted to putting food on the table.
Val as an artist later started earning money from his paintings and decided to embark on a full-time career through his craft which was highly influenced by the contemporary milieu and by national artist Botong Francisco who also lived in Angono.
According to Val, there is no greater inspiration than a family, and this becomes obvious when he depicts maternal and paternal relationships for they are the reason for his determination.
Val recalls the time when he decided to settle down. It was also the most challenging time of his life as he struggled to be a bankable painter to meet the needs of his children.
“It was difficult but also fulfilling when you are able to give something to your children and I told myself that I better start mixing paint than cement at the construction site,” he said.
Now that his children are growing up, Val said it is now up to them if they want to continue his legacy because passion, according to Val, is the most important thing about being a painter.
As a piece of advice for aspiring artists torn between pursuing dreams and finding a stable job, Val said that nothing is impossible.
“You have to endure all the difficulties in life if that is really what you want and if you are determined to achieve your dreams,” he said.
Val at present continues to inspire art lovers and buyers through his painting and keeps himself busy as a member of the Angono Ateliers Association.
Animation Arts Training and Workshops Concerts and Performances Culture Dance Film Graphic Arts Indie Internet Literature Movies Music Obituaries Paintings Performing Performing Arts Photography Sculpture Showbiz Television Theater Visual arts
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
