Multitasking: Sketching at Work

After five years of being a full-time artist, I’m back in the retail industry. As a family man, setting aside my art to work on a full time job to provide and make ends meet, pay bills, and save money is the most practical option for me right now.

After five years of being a full-time artist, I’m back in the retail industry. As a family man, setting aside my art to work on a full time job to provide and make ends meet, pay bills, and save money is the most practical option for me right now.

The only challenge is that working on my art has become quite a struggle. So to ease the itch while enduring an 11-hour shift, I do on-location sketches of the things around me during off-peak hours perhaps to ease the loneliness and boredom.

I guess one of the perks of being an urban sketcher.

Kiosks Lower Ground

SM City Laoag City

Ink on paper

A5 2025

Takip Silim (Twilight)

    "View Outside The Studio"

Pen and Ink, 2016

First of all, I would say I was too slack in updating our group blog for the past few months and it's been ages since I was able to post my previous sketches. Moving on, sharing a sketch I have made a year ago, here's a view outside my studio while I am at home here in Laoag. The setting is already in twilight, as it is already 6 PM. I'll be probably doing more sketches like these.

2015 Robinsons Mall Center Piece Display

2015 Robinsons Mall Ilocos Christmas lights and display installed on the atrium (main mall) during our mall sketchwalk.

Kapitol, Sentro iti Siyudad (Capitol, Center of the City)

Ilocos Norte Capitol

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte 

2900

Maysa nga malem, malpas iti pinagubra, nasangok pimmasyar sentro tapnu mai-drawing ko iti mesa nga lugar nga kanayun ko malabasan lalo nu damom nga umay iti siyudad iti Laoag. Nu daduma, madim maiwasan nga umay naka buyaen iti aglabas nga tao lalo nu makita da ka nga nakatambay nga madama iti patugaw na, madamat sketch, wennu nakaiggem iti naingpis nga papel, pinta ken brush, ngato baba iti ulo na. Kas mesa nga naipa puswan nga Urban Sketcher, detuy iti kanayon ko nga mapadasan lalo nu madama nak ag-drawing iti sab-sabali nga lugar.

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One afternoon, after my work, I went to take a stroll into the heart of the city to draw this place I used to pass by esp if you are going to Laoag City Often times, you cant avoid people to see/watch you most esp. when you are sitting in a corner, sketching, or holding a thin piece of paper, paint and brush. As one of the dedicated Urban Sketcher, this is always the kind of experience i go through in sketching different places.

Sitio Dungtal, Laoag City

Farm View

Brgy 23 Sition Dungtal,

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte 2900

Every afternoon, I and my dog go out for a walk near a farm few meters away from our house. Enjoying the fresh air, I decided to bring my sketchpad with me and did this quick sketch outside.

Backyard Scene

House on a nearby Farm

Brgy 23 Sitio Dungtal,

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

January 2016. Grabbed the opportunity to start the year with my first sketch. After all the exhausting holiday celebrations, I eventually had a peaceful me-time to do artworks. While searching for a subject, I passed by this house which was the only house near the irrigation road on a nearby farm. Had to sit for a while, listen to Tycho and sketch my location for today.

Sketching Inside Taoid Museum

Sketching inside Taoid Museum
La Tabacalera Lifestyle Center

Taoid Museum is the first museum to display the lifestyle and cultures of Cordillera in the heart of  Laoag City. Located at La Tabacalera Lifestyle Center, As part of appreciating the indigenous culture and traditional artworks displayed on the newly opened museum, artists were invited to sketch inside the museum. Which then we get opportunity to be one of the artists who spent time to record the astonishing artifacts into our paper.

Few of my art colleagues sketching inside the museum.

(Me, Gilbert & Marvin)