How to Get Ahead in Navigating

Watercolor
5.5″ x 8″
2023

Harvest

This artwork was commissioned by Mia Priest for Absence of the Sacred’s IVth studio album
“IV: The Hand That Wounds”.

I. Title: The Scientific Method

A lab report on the enlightenment industry.

In Medias Res

Sometimes there is no better way to figure out who you are than to take a wrong turn.

Starlet Fever

Artwork for the death metal band Punebre.

Jungian Sorcery

The damn thing was fast too, and the crazy arm thing made him even scarier.

Message Request

They remind me that they’re watching too, in perfectly timed photos, or by bulls-eye shitting on my head or open bag!

Ecce Homo

I used to look at this finished painting, go ‘yuck’, affirm the lost cause and shoved it back in the drawer.

In Dark Purity

Having metal related projects on the side is always icing on the cake!

Pus Seeking in the Monarch-Kitty

The end result fell nothing short of CAT-astrophic!

The Emancipation of MOLLOCH

They say the end of the world begins with the summoning of “Molloch”.

Nothing to See Here

Watercolor 21 x 14 cm 2022 Or is there?

COMMISSION Intermission: Something Really Different!

There isn’t a single drop of black paint on this painting.

Psychotechnics

Let’s begin with the word “nice”. It’s a lukewarm, flaccid, pathetic, vague, zombie sewer that people like to spend their lives wallowing in.

Malignancy’s Shark vs Promo Dude : An Odyssey

Documentation of “Shark vs. Promo Dude” in all its stages.

Updated: Malignancy’s Shark vs. Promo Dude

Artwork commissioned by Alexander Dela Cruz for the band Malignancy + Official logo from the Motivated by Hunger EP.

Bottle Opener

A doodle.

The Cuzco Commission

A commissioned replica with creative liberty.

The “Other” Migrante Cover

People often have the misconception that art school teaches one how to “make art”, regardless of predisposition and inclination. It’s easy to overlook such prerequisites as passing a university’s entrance exam first, while already possessing a certain level of skill. It’s not like golf where there is a “consultant” that teaches you which club is […]

Primordial Essence

Please click for larger view Oil on canvas 60” x 25” 2014 Dystopian societies and far-flung, post-apocalyptic futures are possibly some of my more favored science fiction and fantasy settings. I have drawn inspiration from the grimdark atmosphere of plagues and pandemics in the construction of some of my own worlds, but never did I […]

Converpulations (The Disaster Piece)

There are so many things wrong with it:  The proportion, the perspective, the bizarre, unreconcilable monotonal* rust and metallic lead color scheme, the light source, the list goes on… But I daresay that by sacrificing so many academic notions, this work took on a life of its own. As an added bonus, it gave the camera a […]

Pentacles

“The Fat Duck” story.

Salvation Manual

One can’t help but wonder whether the hours I spend manipulating the details of these hybrid print/paintings detract from the glory of the original inkblots. Do you see what the little people are doing?  Do people even read all these words? Doesn’t really matter. We resort to all sorts of things to make sense of […]

Many Ways to Reach the End

22″ x 12″ Watercolor on paper 2017 For as long as I can remember, I have been experiencing a visual sensory phenomenon that I’ve named ‘Cone Theory’ for lack of a better definitive term. Concentric lines, which look oddly similar to the symbol for WiFi, form patterns on every single surface. Perhaps I will make […]

Subcutanea

Watercolor 21 x 29.7 cm 2018 Survival is intrinsic to our nature. But, mankind’s establishment as a species has overtaken what our bodies have evolved to do on a cellular level. While our bodies are trying to rewire or figure out another avenue to circumvent the energy intended for escaping that ‘saber toothed cat that […]

Where the One-Eyed Man is King

It’s always much easier to go with the consensus rather than slowly carve your own path in the wilderness. The potential of having devastating consequences or gratifying rewards are on both ends of the volitional spectrum. Mob mentality is an evolutionary mechanism — Being in a group simply ensures a greater chance of survival. It’s […]

Civilization

I learned about the wonderful world of Decalcomania more than two decades ago. Creating these ‘inktricate’ blobs, blotches, spots and blots a la Rorschach, has always been a lush proving ground for the latent imagination. The late Dr. himself would know. These monotype ‘inkblots’ were created by dropping watercolor onto a piece of paper, and […]

‘The Transformative Power of Art’ by Van James

I’ve recently had the privilege to participate in an exceptional 2 part workshop of artist, book author, and Waldorf teacher, Van James held in Prado Farms, an appropriately transformative venue in Lubao, Pampanga. It was a remarkable combination of content and context. Prado Farms is a Biodynamic and organic farm; An Eco-resort with its own forest, lush […]

Violence and the Macabre

Just add Heparin.

Mortality Weakness

2013 hasn’t been disappointing in terms of exciting projects that redefine the word ‘job’. This one in particular falls under the ‘surreal’ category in terms of parameters and workflow. In Dark Purity is perhaps the most respected, and tastefully infamous ‘zine in this side of the world. After making the IDP cover 9 years ago, […]

Tales of Revilement Part 2: Nidhogg

Right before 2012 ended, I was contacted by Revilement  for another commission –a t-shirt design for their Finland tour. The band’s specifics included a creature in a frozen wasteland. Obsessed with coherence, everything had to fall under order and relevance, so impetus compelled me to expand on the Jormungandr concept. Besides, ‘Revilement’ has always sounded […]

Jormungandr : Tales of Revilement

This is a commissioned piece for the Taiwanese death metal band Revilement, whom Brimstone in Fire were fortunate to open for in the Davao, Philippines leg of their South East Asia tour. Upon the release of their album Pillars of Balance in December 2011, they needed a corresponding design for their tour shirt. Recommended by a mutual friend: local […]

Brimstone In Fire Glyph

This glyph was designed for our band, Brimstone in Fire. The original design by Dondi Bunye, is literally the alchemical symbol for brimstone (sulfur) : within the alchemical symbol for fire. Below is the first attempt at the design, which I find quite crude in hindsight. The orientation of the letters is also Don’s idea, […]

Untitled

Oil on canvas 28 x 24’’ 2004 This painting was created  for a local metal band’s album cover. The image on the left was the original concept, however it never went past this underpainting stage because a better idea came to mind. The female figure is a representation of the Biblical Eve after the “Fall” […]

Implanting the Mythos

Though created back in 2004, this work is the cover of the 4th issue of arguably the Philippines’ most reputable metal zine: In Dark Purity.  Though the gist of my rationale remains unwavering, back at that time I overlooked the possibility of Cultural Assimilation: “The process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and […]

Archistratege

Oil on canvas 18 x 24’’ 2010 Please click on the images for a larger view. This painting started out as a commissioned piece for a local metal magazine cover, with the ad nauseam theme “Women in Metal”.  In spite of my virtually misogynistic views on the subject, I approached the whole project tongue-in-cheek, and […]