The Anthem Philatelist

Pedro D. Villadolid, Waterfalls, 1979, Oil on Masonite, 24"x42",  Private  Collection   Pedro D. Villadolid (6 October 1916- 7 August 1980) loved nature. He was a self taught painter who  worked with actual subjects but added elements from his fertile and wild imagination. In this painting we see lush autumn tree colors not seen in our country and two deers with long antlers, non-existent in Bantayan island ,  Cebu . He loved birds in flock-of-seven and here, we see them perched on a branch (right tree), on a rock (beside middle tree) and in flight (left tree).  This flock-of-seven bird pattern can also be seen in his 1953 Farm scene , 1976 Forest , and in this painting. His trees appear crooked and asymmetrical, the rock formations unrealistic.  "He paints with apparent disregard for proportion or natural coloration.  His subjects architecture were free, loose with bright gay colored patterns", writes Manuel Duldulao in his famous 198...

Pedro D. Villadolid , Forest, 1976, Oil on masonite 36" x 60", Avanzado family collection At 3x5 feet, this 1976 painting by little known painter from Suba,   Bantayan Island , Cebu , Pedro Villadolid  is the biggest known work of the artist to date.  I grew up looking at this painting everyday. This commissioned landscape art piece adorned our main living room,  another beautiful seascape version hung in my parents bedroom, a third piece - a still life - could be found in our dining room, and a fourth - a flower in a vase in front of the bar. Not much is known about this Cebuano painter who had the exceptional God-given talent for the arts but only started painting later in life.  His son Jose "Pepe" Villadolid , also a notable painter in Cebu recalls, "he didn't start painting seriously until my younger brother Balsicas got sick".  Balsicas was the most talented among the Villadolid painters that included my uncle Diosdado "Diovil" , my f...