by Lorie Ann A. Cascaro
Painting for most artists is a source of living. But, for Lovella Joaquin, her passion for painting pays her more than any monetary value when she started teaching young aspiring artists.
“Dadai”, as her friends call her, has been publicly known for her soil painting since she was featured in a national newspaper, the Inquirer, in 2002. Soil painting was introduced to her by a cousin who learned it from the Lumads (ethnic group) in Malaybalay, Bukidnon in 2000. Mixing water, glue and soil creates a peculiar type of paint with a color based on the soil itself. On an unprimed canvas, Dadai manipulates her brush to visualize what goes on in her imagination using the soil paint. Usually in oil painting, the canvas is painted with acrylic gesso to seal the surface before applying the paint to have a faithful rendition of colors. But in soil painting, the canvas should be unprimed so that the soil paint strongly holds on to the surface of the canvas.
Her themes are mainly female figures, both realistic and abstract, and anything that involves a woman. It may be her emotion, situation or ambition, or an object associated to her. Having a feminist side, Dadai said she is known as the only soil painter in Davao who uses woman as a subject. Those of the Lumads are more on concrete objects relating to their daily lives like tambol (musical instrument) and lizards.
Most of her works have been sold in the US by friends’ referrals although she did not intend to make it a business. But discovery of her artistic side amused many of her friends. For instance, a friend requested her to produce 30 pieces of small framed soil paintings as wedding giveaways which cost PhP 1,500 each. She was then urged to do a lot of traveling to collect more varieties of soils. She got red and yellow soil in Malaybalay, pink in Camiguin, violet in Lake Agko, Kidapawan City and lavender in Tagaytay. She has produced about 70 soil paintings so far. But, because of the limited colors, she has momentarily recessed in order to explore other colors of soils and creative concepts in which the available colors can be applied.
But this artist by heart still continues her passion in painting using pastel on paper. Dadai plans to have her solo exhibit in the near future, but in the meantime, what makes her more productive these days is her one-on-one tutorials for kids. She started teaching a group of pupils from Faith Academy last year as part of their curriculum. Later, when she was done with the group, she began teaching one student per session. She said it is more effective than group sessions because all of her energy and attention will be focused on the child. For PhP 350, Dadai dedicates an hour to an interested student as young as five years old.
Dadai has been running one-on-one art workshops for an entire summer. Her students will have a total of 10 individual sessions (two 1-hour sessions per week) for PhP 3,850, inclusive of painting materials. They are learning to paint using pastel and watercolor, and are expected to exhibit their outputs on April 30 and May 1. As for the theme of the exhibit, Dadai is still conceptualizing it while introducing landscape, still life and facial expressions to her students. Sessions are done in her house, but she plans to own a studio sooner or later where she could also do her own paintings.
Not all artists can teach
Taking up BS psychology at the Brokenshire College, Dadai believes she is an effective teacher, not only of children but to anyone who wishes to learn from her skills in visual art. She considers this quality as a gift because not all artists can teach their knowledge and skills to others.
A mother of two kids, Dadai at 37, envisions herself producing proficient and artistic Filipino citizens in the future. The most important thing that she can teach these young aspirants is the value of having the right attitude. She said skills in art can all be acquired and one can start learning regardless of age. Formal training is not necessary to become an accomplished visual artist because it only takes a lot of practice, according to her. But no one acknowledges someone who does not have a positive attitude.
Her best example of such attitude is her idol, Rachel Holazo, an accomplished Davao-based artist who died of cancer last year. Holazo produced a myriad of artworks in various media, including the mural found in the lobby of the city hall of Davao. Dadai said she considers Holazo as the best critic of her works. She was so proud when Holazo admired her painting of a “nude woman with fern” in 2007.
Painting is a not just a hobby for Dadai. It is also her relief from stress and an expression of her thoughts and emotions. It has taught her to become more disciplined, especially that now she is a mother, wife, student, painter and teacher all rolled into one. “If you want to create a painting, you simply paint regardless of your mood,” she said. For this modest artist, the fruits of her labor pay more than a a lot of businessmen earn.
