NAME: ESTEBAN, JEMAIMA HOSANNA M.

DATE: 22 JANUARY 2013

SECTION: SEC 10 (10:30-12:00)

A Visit to the Gallery of Creative Hands

11
th
of January 2014, it was a day I had all my first times. My first time
commuting, riding an MRT, visiting an art gallery/exhibit, and meeting a real
artist/painter was also a first time for me! Indeed, it was such a nice trip! Though my
cousin and I were sweating a lot due to the hot weather and nonstop walking, include
pollution , crowded places and of course weariness, it was all worth it seeing the realistic
and beautiful paintings at the gallery. Our fatigue was gone as soon as we reached the
exhibit. I was thankful because my cousin and I share common interest, and that is ART.
It was like a field trip visiting the gallery of creative hands with just the two us.

I could say the paintings are indeed a work of creative hands. I could feel
how the artist put his emotions ecstatically just from looking at every stroke of the brush.
Its as if his hands were possessed of the feelings of every person in his paintings. I felt
the agony, pain, sorrow, struggle, contentment, simplicity, excitement, happiness, and
love in each and every of his works. Yes, you
could say I fell in love and was and still
amazed. The gallery has only one exhibitor that
time and he was Jose Pepe G. Aguilos, Jr. (at
my right side) He is a distinguished Architect
who devotes his spare time painting, sculpting
and playing classical violin music.

He was born on March 2, 1931 in
Manila. He is the oldest of the nine children of
Jose Aguilos, Sr. of Guagua and Brigida Gomez
of Lubao, Pampanga. He earned his Bachelors Degree in Architecture from the Mapua
Institute of Technology and topped the National Architectural Board Examination in
1955. He taught at FEU for thirty years. He designed and constructed many famous
landmarks around the country.

Architect Pepe started painting just several years ago and his studio located
at No. 17 Examiner St., West Triangle, Quezon City is now filled with more than one
hundred paintings. Some of his original masterpieces inspired by famous painter such as
Juan Luna, Van Gogh, Frazetta Remoir, Claide Monete, and Rembrandt show his
versatility in style.

He had his First Solo Painting Exhibition last November 4 to 17, 2006 at
the Purple Arts Gallery of SM Megamall. Since then people are visiting his Gallery.
Those who have seen his masterpieces strongly encouraged him to have another painting
exhibition so that others can appreciate his fine arts.

The painting at the left side is the first painting of his
that caught my eye. The setting would be likely in a
mountain or in some remote areas where two kids
had gone maybe to earn money and buy food. I could
feel joy and sadness in this art. The joy of coming
back home with a food in their hands and the sadness
of coming home thinking they had to do this again,
walking through a rough road and experiencing all
this at such a young age. You could tell how they love each other and how caring the
eldest to his younger brother. The title of the painting is Pauwi Na! I like this painting
best. It is realistic, the way he used to paint the water seems so real and the work has so
much feels. Whether acrylic or oil, every single thing, even the stroke of the brush, is just
awesome.

I dont know how to
explain or how should I put into words
the artwork at the right side. It is as
almost the same as the artwork at the
front. The only difference is that these
kids graduated from school and were
happy going home. The struggles of
going to school and coming back home
walking hundreds of miles and had never
given up studying has been paid off by a
diploma. The joy of coming back home
with a diploma in their hands is what
flutters my heart most. The title of the
painting is Nearly Home (After Graduation). I think the artist intended to portray such
strong emotional feelings in his paintings to make the viewers feel what the people in his
paintings are experiencing. To appreciate the joy of life, the hard work in life, and how
we should enjoy life.

I enjoyed every single of his
works and Ive experienced so many first
times through this trip. Ive learned the
importance of art and the joy of being an
artist. It is not as simple as what we all think.
We have to appreciate art for us to know the
real meaning of life. Indeed, these are the
paintings of creative hands!