For the month of June – Philippine Environment Month – I had the honor of teaching a series of 5 watercolor workshops with EDC Binhi. Binhi is the nationwide greening program of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) which aims to restore denuded forests, preserve and propagate threatened native tree species, and protect biodiversity to leave a legacy of a verdant Philippines for the next generation.
It all began when I purchased this potted Katmon Sibuyan (Dillenia sibuyanensis) as soon as @philnativetrees posted it for sale. It was just on a whim – I hadn’t even grown anything properly before then, but knowing that native species are hardy emboldened me to take the plunge.
The Katmon Sibuyan and its first bloom under my care.
Taking care of it was easier than I expected. It arrived during rainy season so I didn’t even have to water it much, and in the span of just a few months, it surprised me with this beautiful yellow bloom. <3 (I was told that Katmon Sibuyan blooms in its 3rd year so I’m thinking that this particular plant was marcotted or grown from a cutting. )
It gave me a couple more blooms until December, and before I knew it, I bought another sapling. This time, it was a Malabulak (Bombax ceiba). Notice that the plants I’ve bought are those which I’ve already drawn.
I had the pleasure of being invited as a Crazy About Paper Featured Artist for April. C.A.P. is a webshop that sells print-on-demand products designed by local artists. Was impressed by their line of home and office items especially so I thought of creating patterns inspired by some of my favorite Philippine native trees ~ namely, the Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa), Ilang-Ilang (Cananga odorata), and Katmon (Dillenia philippinensis).
Below are the pattern designs along with sample applications. You can see the complete line of products they’re available on in my C.A.P. Artist Page.
Various media features and interviews from July 2020 to March 2021:
Promoting Forest Conservation and Heritage Preservation Through Art | DZUP Atin ‘To Interview, March 23, 2021: Link
View this post on Instagram
Drawing Native Trees for Conservation – Presentation + Demo | Ang InK, November 2020: Link
Business Mirror, Sept. 27, 2020: Link
Arts for Conservation Episode | MUNI on this Podcast, August 2020: Link
MB Lifestyle, July 17, 2020: Link
After almost a year of collaborative back and forths, we were finally able to launch the ForesTree: A Memory Match-Up Game app right on International Forest Day 2021! You can download it for iOS and Android .
This app is completely FREE and was built by Gabby Lacuesta of Funny Cow Games under my ongoing Grant with Forest Foundation Philippines. (You can read Gabby’s notes on building the game as a touching tribute for his Dad here.)
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