Q & A with painter Patricia Collantes : "Napakalaki ng pagmamalasakit ni Popoy Cusi sa kapwa artist niya!"

Patricia: a great listener to Master Popoy Cusi's tips on Painting

(from left to right): Patricia's husband, Patricia, Popoy Cusi and blogger Robert

It's a rare chance of interviewing a female painter. Kaya talagang we grabbed that opportunity at once. Bibihira ka na kasing makakita ngayon ng ganyan. We mean, isang babaeng Pintor. Kasi, in a scale of one to ten, walo doon ay lalaking Pintor at dadalawa lamang ang babaeng Pintor.

We first met Ms. Patricia Collantes sa isang Painting Exhibit sa M Gallery kung saan pareho silang special guests ng Master painter na si Popoy Cusi. Si Patricia, na kasama ang asawa niyang businessman, ang siyang ka-kuwentuhan ni Master Popoy all thoughout the night at the party event. Little did we know that, mentor pala ni Patricia si Master Popoy.

In one chat conversation sa Facebook, nabanggit namin kay Patricia na nais namin siyang ma-interview. At hindi naman naging natagal at sumagot agad si Ms. Patricia na okey sa kanya na mainterbyu namin siya,

Naganap ang interbyuhan sa JCO Donuts sa may Alabang Town Center. At heto po ang Q & A (Question & Answer) interview namin kay Ms. Patricia, isang magaling na female Painter:


ROBERT: How did you become Popoy Cusi's student and please describe your experience having him as your teacher-mentor?

PATRICIA: I first met Kuya Popoy sa Transwing Gallery which is owned by Mr. Klaus Hartung, a German. Napaka-strict ng attendance sa Gallery na iyon, kapag absent ka ng isang beses, he'll take you off at once. Me and other painters get to meet there once every 3 months. We go there at Transwing for some On-The Spot painting sessions. Every month of October, we come-up with an October fest sort of na 'On The Spot Painting' sessions.
Actually, I am not a student of Kuya Popoy Cusi. Pero somehow, naging mentor ko siya. Kasi, he is very helpful to younger Painters like me, he is very supportive. He loves giving us advices and techniques. Eh, I am the type of a person who really listens talaga sa mga more experienced and older people. 'Yung mga payo lahat ni Kuya Popoy, lalo na 'yung mga Tips niya, pinakinggan ko. And it became very helpful to me.
Lalo na sa pagpinta ng mga Portrait, pinakinggan ko at sinunod ang mga Tips niya, in the end, natuklasan ko, ang dali nga. Dahil sinunod ko mga Tips niya, it became easier for me.
Dahil sobrang experienced na si Kuya Popoy sa mundo ng pagpinta, mapapakinig ka talaga sa kanya.

ROBERT: What can you say about Popoy Cusi as a person and as a Painter?

PATRICIA: May paninindigan si Kuya Popoy! Very solid ang paniniwala niya sa mundo ng Arts. At napakalaki ng pagmamalasakit niya sa mga kapwa-Artists niya! Basta ang tinuturo niya lagi sa amin, huwag kaming papayag na magpadikta palagi sa iba, sundin namin ang sarili naming passion and instincts. Mas gagaling daw kami kung may conviction kami sa sarili namin. Sabi pa niya, if you stop doing the thing that makes you passionate, your life will become meaningless.

ROBERT: How did your passion for Painting started, Patricia?

PATRICIA: It started out nu'ng bata pa ako. Panay ang Doodle ko ng mga Paintings. And whenever I see one, nakadarama ako ng freedom deep within me. That's the time I knew, passion ko to become a Painter someday. But you see, my Mom told me to finish a Course first na pakikinabangan ko sa buhay at kung saan ay magkakaroon ako ng stable job. She told me, maitapos ko lang ang isang Course na iyon, I can do whatever I want na. I was taking-up BS Chemistry at that time, and I finished it. Pagkatapos na pagkatapos kong matapos yung four-year-course na iyon, that's the time I took-up Fine Arts na. And it's worth the wait.  Sa College of the Holy Spirit ko kinuha ang kursong Fine Arts.
Sabi ko noon sa sarili ko, when I reach 40, that's the time na magpu-full concentration na ako sa Painting. Pero hindi pa rin nangyari. A lot of things still came along the way. Nag-asawa ako, nagka-anak, naging mountain climber, nag-business.... Ngayon lang talaga ako medyo nakakabawi sa Passion ko sa Painting. Nakalimutan ko somehow during those times ang Pagpinta.
Until one time, somebody noticed my paintings na nai-post ko sa FB ko. Somebody invited me to join a group exhibition. And to my surprise, ang naging kasama ko doon ay walang iba kundi si Raul Navajo. Back-to-back ang mga paintings namin together. Doon ako muling na-inspire na magpinta nang muli.

ROBERT: Patricia, bakit ba tila yata kakaunti lang ninyong mga babaeng Painters?

PATRICIA: Napansin ko nga. Kasi sa mga group exhibitions namin, usually, kapag sampu ang mga lalaki, dadalawa lang kaming mga babae. Well, I think, kaming mga babae kasi, divided ang mga attention namin sa mga bagay-bagay. Masyado kaming distracted. Kasi, kami ang mga Ina ng tahanan, kami nagpapalaki sa mga bata, kami nagluluto, kami nag-aasikaso sa mga asawa namin. Kaya it's really hard for us to give total focus sa Pagpinta.

ROBERT: How would you describe your style as a Painter?

PATRICIA: At first, hyper realist ako na nag-evolve into becoming a perceptual artist. I just don't stick it out with one style or one genre. I am also an Impressionist and a Figurative kind of Painter. If you take a deep look at my Flamenco dance paintings, my strokes there are strong and bold. I mostly use Acrylic. Pero nagi-sketch din ako, and I use Ink in sketching- which I learned from Kuya Popoy Cusi. Mahirap kapag Ink ang gamit mo sa Sketch kasi one mistake lang, sira lahat ng ginuhit mo.

ROBERT: Last question, Ms. Patricia. What is your greatest dream as a Painter?

PATRICIA: Teka, ano nga ba? Siguro, 'yung magkaroon lang ako ng solo show someday, okey na. Masaya na ako sa ganu'n. But I will never stop improving my works as a Painter. I will further sail on and explore.

ROBERT: Thank you so much for this brief interview you granted for me, Ms. Patricia.

PATRICIA: Thank you, too, Robert.




-------end of interview------
(written by robert silverio)

BELOW ARE MS. PATRICIA COLLANTES' PAINTINGS: