Young Bacchus
Oil on canvas
1993I learned to paint in oil from ages ten through 12 (fifth through seventh grades) at Ateneo Grade School's Arts Club under the guidance of Araceli Limcaco-Dans. From high school onward I made forays into graphite, charcoal, watercolor, chalk pastels, oil pastels, and acrylic, in that order.
In 1993 I decided to go back to oil painting for good, and this was the very first painting I made that year, a truly early work, of my younger son Chito as Young Bacchus.
In 1998 I gave this painting to Bambi Gamban, a student at De La Salle University and a member of the Spirit Questors, for safekeeping, and for the longest time it hung in her mother's lanai. I reclaimed it only a few years ago, giving Bambi my painting titled Batman in exchange. Both Young Bacchus and Batman were returned to me, however, and Batman ended up being given as a gift to Mico Marasigan.
This painting hangs in our studio foyer. I am glad to have it back.
Note that my definitive signature had not yet been developed at the time.
