Meeting one of the few active female Davao artist for the first time, Beatrix “Trixie” Borbon gave me an impression that I was going to have an ordinary interview; here was a talented painter who can create wonderful things on canvas with just the colors of her imagination. But isn’t it that the magic of being able to interview someone is the same as an archaeologist trying to unearth layers and layers of information, until finally, you can see a bigger picture, but at the same time, not knowing what other interesting thing you can find?
Here was a healthy-looking woman with a set of long and thick black hair telling me that she was diagnosed with breast cancer not long ago and survived. “No one ever realizes how everything can just go so south in one’s life so fast. I went to the doctor after discovering an unusual lump in one of my breasts to just have it checked out. They laid me on the table to get a sample and the next thing I knew, I woke up with my tummy fat as my new breasts,” Trixie jokingly said. “I told myself: “May gamit din pala yung bilbil ko!”
She was diagnosed just last 2013 and can laugh about her serious predicament—if that is not courageous in itself, I don’t know what is! “Throughout my whole experience, I can say now that God really provides. When I needed money for my treatments, good timing—His timing—really pulled me through. When I needed strength, God helped me to be steadfast—I never even really had time to cry and for self-pity since I was so busy with other things going on in my life (Trixie only cried once)!” she gratefully shares.
One of the really major things that helped her through the taxing ordeal was painting. She loves painting flowers—most particularly, sunflowers—she finds them utterly inspiring and can probably paint one with her eyes closed, since she has done so many. Trixie’s main medium is acrylic, although she has been challenging herself with oil recently. Her treatment and style in painting is befitting of her personality and character—delicate and brightly colored that is full of hope, life and subtle strength. “I can’t say a hundred percent that I have fully developed my own style, but I do have consistent elements in my paintings. For example, whenever I do a “Mother and Child” subject, there will always be big rosary beads inside the frame and I apply geometric streaks for more artistic character,” the artist pointed out. Painting has really helped the artist to pour her stress and/or happiness out and feels that not a day is complete without doing even just a few brush strokes on canvas per day.
Her works fall in the category of non-representational art and has that particular “woman’s touch” that has a quiet impressiveness to it—especially regarding the fact that Trixie is self-taught. When asked about what her advice would be to other female artists—especially to those who are just starting out in this mostly male-driven practice—she said to not think of anybody else but your own happiness in the process of creating something. “I could have never thought that I would be doing art exhibits alongside Davao’s greatest artists, but surprisingly, here I am. Therefore, it is possible and it is never too late. Painting is never too late for anyone. Just open up your heart and soul to it and it will return the experience tenfold. Do what you want to do now because you never know if you might have a second chance—I’m so happy I was given it! There isn’t really any time to be negative and to bury yourself with regrets and pain. Forgive and let go whenever it is time, your life is your canvas and you can do anything to create your own beautiful world,” Trixie inspiringly shares.
As a personal note, I myself have learned through time to follow this adage: “Always practice kindness because people have a struggle going on within themselves that you don’t know about.”
