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...

Marvin Chito Natural , Red Ink, 2016 The world of art is often celebrated as the ultimate expression of human truth, emotion, and creativity. However, beneath the polished gallery floors and the glamorous auction house lights lies a complex, multi-billion clam shadow economy driven by deception. Art fraud, forgery and unethical exploitation have plagued the creative world for centuries. When the value of an object is dictated not by its physical materials, but by the reputation of the name signed at the bottom, the temptation to cheat becomes overwhelming. From high-tech chemistry to systemic human exploitation, the bad side of art compromises the integrity of cultural history. Here is an in-depth examination of the primary methods used to deceive the art market, along with the hidden ethical breaches that occur behind studio doors. 1. The Art of the Fake: Forgery and Replication At the most basic level of art deception is faking —the intentional creation of a piece of artwork desi...

  Kapit, Watercolor, 9"x 12", 2022 The rhythmic scraping of a palette knife against canvas, the rich scent of oil paint clashing with the aroma of ramen from nearby Rai Rai Ken ,  and a quiet, unassuming man completely absorbed in his craft—this is the enduring image of Luther Galicano at a mall in Cebu where I first met him. To the casual shopper navigating the mall’s bustling corridors, he was once a hidden gem creating masterworks in plain sight. Today, his brilliance has found its rightful platform as an in-house artist at Galerie Raphael , a milestone that formally anchors his reputation as an exceptional draftsman and a brilliant custodian of Cebuano art . What immediately draws viewers to Galicano’s work is his profound mastery of rural Cebuano scenes and seascapes . In an era dominated by hyper-modern and often detached art forms, his canvases offer a soulful sanctuary. He captures the vibrant, sun-drenched spirit of the Visayan countryside—the rustic charm of nipa ...

Malapascua, Oil on Canvas, 30" x 60", 2022 Born in Talisay City , Cebu, Jonathan Abellana grew up in an environment naturally charged with creativity.  Despite showing a precocious talent for drawing during his school years—frequently relied upon by teachers to paint murals and stage designs—his path to becoming a professional fine artist was far from direct. As a teenager, Abellana spent six years working on a farm in Manila. Far removed from the formal art world, this grueling period paradoxically anchored his creative resolve; he eventually found solace and financial supplement by returning to charcoal drawing . Upon returning to Cebu, he enrolled in a Graphics and Media Design course at the Cebu Institute of Technology University (CIT-U) . However, by his second year, financial constraints combined with a realization that canvas painting offered a deeper fulfillment led him to withdraw from formal schooling. Undeterred by the lack of an academiac degree, Abellana embark...