Story by Marky Ramone Go | Artworks by Regine Garcia
ALMOST nobody travel nowadays without a camera in this era of social media. The desire to instantly share memories on the road through posting of photographs online has become a popular practice of every wanderer. And yet, there are still a few who would rather document scenes on the road through an unconventional medium: watercolors on paper.
I first met Regine Garcia during a trip to the province of Capiz, where I first saw firsthand her flair in sketching the many fascinating images of her jaunts. Since then, I have been closely following her work through Facebook in a much fervent manner, more than I would with a renowned travel photographer. Fascinated with her method of documenting her journeys, I asked her a few questions about her passion.
How did you get started with watercolor sketching?
As a break from the day’s workload, I tried to play with my unused 2-year-old watercolor set as a form of stress-relief. I was an avid user of acrylic paint and oil pastels when I was a little girl, and the concept of trying out watercolor intrigued me. When I painted for the first time using the medium, I was extremely disappointed with my artwork. I have never felt that way before, because I thought it would be easy. I was wrong. After that, I challenged myself to work with watercolor—to understand the medium, to learn the techniques and to develop my skills.
I was determined to study as much as I could with the watercolor medium. I constantly looked for inspiration from photos and magazines, and tried to do my own rendered version using water and paint. My progress was carefully documented since the last quarter of 2014. I was attaching little post-it notes on every artwork with some of my own critique, whether or not to use pencil, ink, or even coffee for underpainting.
It took me several weeks to get everything right through stressful trial and error: the right water-and-paint ratio, the right paper, the right kind of paint, the right brush types and the right atmosphere.
A few months of experimenting with the unpredictable medium, I decided to do my watercolor practices constantly, whether in the studio or on-the-spot. Watercolor sketching came about as I progressed into those random daily to religious weekly exercises, where it was necessary to bring the medium everywhere I go. Sketching and painting quickly then turned into a habit when traveling.
How important is traveling in inspiring you to draw?
Traveling gives depth to my artworks. The people who I meet and interact with, the cultures that I have observed and experienced, and the environment that I am in, these are very subjects that inspire me to paint.
Everything that surrounds me when I travel gives me a clearer view of reality. Inspiration comes from all the elements that are within me and around me. To draw and paint is not just to capture what is there in front of me, it is to tell a story, convey the emotions and set the mood of the piece.
Being in different places defines the artwork. It never requires words to tell you where it is, because the subjects, the foreground and the background will show you.
Traveling opens my eyes to the lines, colors, textures, form and shapes of the real world—the very foundation of conceiving a concept for an artpiece.
What do you look for in an interesting subject to draw?
Since I grew up in the city, I had less exposure to the life in the countryside. That might be the reason I am inclined to paint scenes in the rural areas across the archipelago. I like painting the locals in particular, the old folk, laboring men and women, and playing children. I like to capture a fun and happy life in the village, as well as the struggles and drama in the province.
When creating an artwork, I generally look for stories that illustrate the life in the rural areas. I have been focusing more on the people as my subjects rather than just the landscapes or seascapes. The people inspire me in a way that has significantly changed my perception about work and life. I continuously observe them, interact with them, share moments with them, and eventually paint them.
I find immense joy when I get to spend a lot of time with my subjects. Whether I hang out with fishermen’s children or talk to women about the process of sun-drying fish, I love hearing what they have to say and telling their stories through the works that I create.
My artworks show the slow paced, simple life, without the technological distractions; new gadgets, computers and headphones that we usually see being sported in the city. I like to show something different, authentic, genuine and real.
Tell us about a particular travel experience where you discovered unique scenes for your art?
I had the opportunity to volunteer in so many medical and surgical missions that were conducted in remote places. Those travel experiences exposed me to interesting subjects and breath-taking backgrounds that I could use to portray genuine and authentic stories in my artwork. Given that these trips last for a week, I made use of my free time by sketching and creating studies on my sketchbook. My growing love for creating artworks that depict those kinds of scenes are reinforced by one opportunity to another.
One of the best experiences that I had is sharing watercolor painting to others, most especially to children who are eager to learn. Traveling connected me to young talented kids and interesting people; all the more that inspires me to continue what I am actively doing.
Regine Garcia also writes about her travels at https://betweencoordinates.com and showcases her art at https://reginegarcia.com.
Image credits: Regine Garcia