The Anthem Philatelist

My Loves (Queen Juana), 24"x 36", Oil on Canvas, 2024 Rodel Loga Estudillo is a contemporary Filipino visual artist from Cebu City who has made contributions to regional art as a realist, portraitist and community leadership.  As the current president and pioneering member of the Friday Group Sessionistas (FGS) , Estudillo has helped shape the flourishing Cebuano art scene by bridging traditional realism with modern advocacy. His journey from a self-taught enthusiast to a celebrated award-winning painter offers an inspiring narrative of dedication, cultural preservation, and community service. Artistic Style and Influences Estudillo’s body of work is deeply rooted in realism and hyperrealism , specializing primarily in oil portraiture and sweeping canvas landscapes. For years, he taught himself the intricate techniques of realism, finding profound inspiration in legendary Cebuano master painters like Romulo "Mulong" Galicano, Jun Impas, and Adeste Deguilmo. Seeking...

The TOPS ARTFEST 2024: Why The Cebu Community Should Not Miss It?  By Celso Duazo Pepito I was happy to graduate in Fine Arts in 1981 at the University of the Philippines Cebu . But for the next two to three decades of  my art practice, my journey as member of creative community were full of difficulties and challenges. In the 80's and 90's we had very limited platforms for exhibition, encouraging us to organize our exhibits in hotels , restaurants , malls , hospitals , etc . Added to our problems is the limited art collectors in Cebu during that time. Attendees of exhibitions, more often than not were same people who have the heart for collecting artworks. And there were instances when these collectors will shy away from art exhibitions, with valid reasons that they do not have enough walls to hang their collections. With this problem in mind, few artists have opted to look for another job, if only to survive. There were few passionate painters, however, that opted to nurture...

Parayeg, 11"x 8", Mangosteen stains/acrylic, 2024                            Celso Pepito ’s use of mangosteen stain as an artistic medium is a rare and distinctive artwork that originated from his "Mangosteen Discovery," which occurred during his participation in the Mindanao Art Fair at SM Lanang in Davao City . Inspired by Davao's abundance of local fruits , the celebrated Cebuano visual artist experimented with the deep, rich muddy pigments left behind by the fruit's rind. He subsequently integrated these natural organic stains into his paintings as a creative homage to the region . The Medium : Pepito utilizes the persistent dark purple juices of the mangosteen fruit to create unique organic stains and layers on his canvases. This approach adds distinct earthy and plum-toned hues to his mixed-media compositions. Signature Cubist Style : Despite experimenting with alternative materials like fruit stains, Pepit...

The Friday Group Sessionistas and our local Cebuano artists, wholeheartedly join PINK OCTOBER 2024 with a Painting Art Exhibit in cooperation with #SMSeasideCityCebu and #ICanServe ICanServe Foundation , Inc Cebu Link at SM Seaside City Cebu (Official) on October 10-24, 2024 Seaview Wing, 3rd Level (between GAOC & iStore ).   The Exhibit formally opens on Thursday October 10, 2024 at 4PM. We are pleased to have our esteemed Guests of Honour; Ms Melanie Chua Ng Atty Joy Pesquera Joy Pesquera Fiscal Llena I. Avila  Ms. Jeane Tello Mr. Eric Mar Valenzuela Dr. Alex Junia Your helping us promote and share this event is appreciated.  You might just have the painting you are looking for, for your home, office or clinic and at the same time support this Art Exhibit for a good cause Cebu Art Exhibit for a Cause !!! Thank you and may God bless us everyone. See you around!  Thank you to all Artist Participants and Guest Artists Efren Enolva, Rodel Estudillo , Frans So...