‘Somewhere in Time’ by L’arc en Ciel artists

MANILA, Philippines - An invitation to paint the Acosta-Pastor ancestral home in Batangas City was the catalyst for the concept of “Somewhere in Time,” a L’arc en Ciel exhibit at Ayala Museum this coming December.

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While we painted and feasted, our art patron and impressario Atty. Tony Pastor of the Bosendorfer piano concert fame played Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Some Enchanted Evening, Chopin’s I’m always Chasing Rainbows, and many other inspirational tunes in his repertoire.  For those of you who are not familiar with this grand piano, it costs more than the latest series of a BMW. Hopefully, our rendering of the nooks and crannies of his well-preserved 130-year-old home reflects the inspiration our souls imbibed while painting our pieces, happy and high with the background serenades. 

Margie Villonco and I were drawn to the two gigantic Mongolian antique mirrors that lorded it over the main living room. Margie pondered as she painted this home of long ago, “What of life’s struggles went thru here? What of its many joys?” She chose to paint the mirror on the left, and I, the one on the right.  We painted all the things reflecting on this mirror: A portrait of his mother when she was 12, the exquisite barandillas of the staircase, and myself staring back at me as I painted the area. The hours flew by and as one would guess, the intricacies of the elements in the painting we could not fit into the alla prima intentions of the day. So we took reference pictures of the details to help us complete our works in the studio. Laughing at myself when I resumed painting it, everything was the exact opposite of the items, since I was painting a mirror image.

Lina Racho chose the four-poster bed with fancy lacework for its canopy and a chamber pot on the floor under the bed. Tess Loanzon was fascinated with the corner where a bookstand and a gramophone were preserved, the gleaming sunlight bouncing on the narra floor planks. The rest of the artists who were unable to come with us, were given their choices of what to paint somewhere in time.

Mia Herbosa, the atelier’s signature artiste is preparing for an important solo show in 2014, in between numerous portrait commissions in New York where she resides.

“Somewhere in Time” is on view from Dec.1 to 15 at The Ayala Museum’s ArtistSpace, Dela Rosa St. corner Makati Ave. For inquiries, call Elaine O. Herbosa at 0917-8901219 or e-mail elaineoherbosa@yahoo.com.ph.