Admittedly, 2019 was not a good year for more creative pursuits, because while I managed to get around to visiting a few old houses with the akyat-bahay gang and poke around some dark bodegas with the antique police, the usual obstacle of time (as in, the lack of it, due to a posh new job that calls for somewhat more travel and a lot more teleconferencing – though I’m not complaining; it’s all good overall) got in the way of writing, preparing, and sharing new articles on The Akyat-Bahay Gangster site.
But one thing I did manage to attend to in the Busy Year of 2019 was find a suitable artwork to commission to make into our family Christmas card. In the first half of the year, I pursued several leads, and honed in on one, a talented artist working in a relatively unusual (though not unique) medium. Sadly, the artist begged off due to the lack of time resulting from the demands of his day job. (Sounds familiar?) So I had to restart my artist search, and consulted a very knowledgeable art-connoisseur friend, who promptly and generously gave me the contact details of two artists he believed might be able to create something suitable for us.
After reviewing their portfolios online, I picked one of them, and contacted him in late June. He responded, saying that he was then currently preparing for an art exhibition, but promised to attend to my inquiry more fully afterwards. I did a follow-up in late July, asking if he could already send me some rough ideas and studies, and he committed to get back to me shortly. Indeed, by late August, he reverted with not just a rough idea but an actual fully-drawn-out study in watercolor.
I thought, wow, how colorful and interesting. Upon my request, he provided some background on the subject and its composition, translated and paraphrased here:
“My original title for the artwork was "Mabungang Pasko" [A Fruitful Christmas], but upon reflection I felt that it was too literal. To pique the curiosity of the viewer, I gave it a bit of a twist. A more intriguing title "Tatlong Luningning" [Three Splendors] came to mind.
“The Filipino Christmas is unusual, because as early as September, the Christmas spirit is already making itself felt. Alongside our busy-ness, we all feel eager for the coming of Christmas and secretly wish that not only would December come soon but also that every day of the year could be Christmas Day. That way, the Holy Spirit would always remain with us, with Hope, Faith, and above all, Love.
“Symbols and elements in the artwork:
- The lady on the right diligently attends to her small business in order to provide a proper livelihood for the family.
- The gift being unwrapped holds a welcome surprise and a message of generosity to others.
- Fruits represent bounty and plenty.
- The dog and the cat demonstrate peace, harmony, and understanding.
- And the “three splendors” hanging from the hut’s ceiling above are simple Christmas lanterns that stand for the light in our lives, reminding us that the Christ Child was born to become the Savior of mankind.”
I thought that not only was the study pretty well-fleshed-out but also that the accompanying reflection on what it meant to the artist was very comprehensive, even more than what I would have expected from just a study at this stage. His biographical note posted on his website, which he had separately invited me to check out, indicated that he had completed a Fine Arts degree in university. That for me explained his approach to the study and how he was able to put it in words so eloquently.
His website also showed several of his other completed artworks, including the bright and sunny “Caravan”,
the charming “Dog Whisperer”,
and another Christmas artwork, the poignant “The Best Gift”.
It was obviously not difficult to give the artist the go-signal to proceed. In the course of the succeeding weeks, he provided updates on how the painting process was progressing. For starters, he prepared the canvas by means of a pencil layout using a grid, scaled and enlarged to the target size of 18 inches tall by 24 inches wide.
Next, he fleshed out the outlines of the figures using a sable brush.
The final stage was coloring, which involved first using semi-flat pigments prior to applying the final more detailed coloring.
By late September, the artwork was complete, and I took delivery of it in early October. Photographing it for the Christmas card and the actual printing of the cards were completed in the succeeding weeks, and by early December, the cards were being allocated to family members and dispatched to the ultimate recipients. Overall, and despite the uncertainties and difficulties in the first half of the year, it was a smooth and straightforward Christmas artwork-commissioning process after all.
Teody C. Racuya
TATLONG LUNINGNING
2019
Oil on canvas
18” x 24” / 46 cm x 61 cm
Teodelorenz C. Racuya, born in Muntinlupa City in 1976, completed his basic education in his hometown. Teody is the youngest child of renowned realist Loreto Racuya and had the opportunity to spend time in his father’s studio honing his technical skills while growing up. He later pursued a Fine Arts degree at the Philippine Women’s University, majoring in painting. His style of academic realism leaning towards modernism, which he refers to as “dynamic impressionism,” is unsurprisingly popular, and Teody’s works are in great demand in frequent art exhibitions in the Philippines and overseas and by many private clients, garnering for him numerous awards and prizes.
Teody especially conceptualized “Tatlong Luningning” (roughly, “three splendors”), depicting an enterprising mother running a small fruit stall to adequately provide for her two daughters. They take a short break on Christmas morning to appreciate the simple graces of generosity (their gift-giving), abundance (their good stock of merchandise), and peace and understanding (their domesticated pets). Above them are three traditional Philippine lanterns, harking back to the original Star of Bethlehem that heralded the birth of Jesus, the Christ (“Messiah”) and Savior of the World.
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Some of our Christmas card recipients also got a book gift, this year Jessica Zafra’s Twisted Travels: Rambles in Central Europe.
In keeping with the subject, our regular craftsperson Rheeza Hernandez devised a simple cloth wrapping in a small variety of Christmas-y designs, and affixed an aircraft keychain to the knot for good measure.
Other recipients might have gotten our other mainstay gift, the Ortigas Foundation’s desk calendar, which for 2020 features mid-19th century colorized illustrations showing life in the Philippines as seen by visiting Europeans.
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From me and my family to you and yours,
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon!
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Originally published on 31 December 2019. All text and photos (except where attributed otherwise) copyright ©2019 Leo D Cloma. The moral right of Leo D Cloma to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted.
