The Anthem Philatelist

  The Tops ArtFest is an annual art festival held at the TOPS lookout point in Busay, Cebu City. It is known for celebrating Filipino artistry in a unique setting with breathtaking views of the city. The festival brings together a wide variety of art forms and features both established and emerging artists from Cebu and across the Philippines.  Key features of the festival Diverse exhibits : The art fest showcases diverse artistic styles, from traditional Cebuano realism to contemporary pieces from different regions of the Philippines. The exhibits feature both paintings and sculptures. Interactive workshops : To make art accessible to all, the event offers hands-on art workshops for different ages and skill levels. Workshops have included landscape painting, printmaking, clay modeling, and tie-dye sessions. Art talks and demonstrations :  The festival provides an educational component, with talks led by art experts on topics like art critique, pricing, appropriation, a...

Leap to the Tops, this extra day of the Leap Year! Born in Cebu City, Philippines in a community of artists, Filipino figurative painter Romel de la Torre's artistic interest started at a very young age. Romel and his family migrated to the United States where he began going to museums studying and learning on his own; works of famous artists like Sargent, Sorolla, Fechin, Mucha, and the American Impressionists. The exposure to these masters' paintings laid a strong foundation to his belief of what great art is.  He attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago, where he was awarded the President's Foundation Award and the Union League Scholarship Award. After graduating with a fine arts concentration, Romel continued to paint in the Chicago area and joined The Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, where he began studying with nationally renowned artist Richard Schmid and painting with other painters. It was a turning point of his creative and artistic career.  The art...