
Text and photos by Oliver Phil Quingco, Magkaisa Creative Space
REJOIN – REBRUSH – REFRESH
On-the-Spot Painting Session of Magkaisa Creative Space
Our first On-the-Spot art workshop 2021 was with the acclaimed Master Watercolourist Rafael Popoy Cusi at the helm under Magkaisa Creative Space Inc.
It was our first get together after the lockdown one year ago and so eleven visual artists, a photographer, a blogger, and a couple of art enthusiast found themselves in a lively interaction with the morning crowd at the CCP Harbour Court area as they painted various subjects from the seascape, to buildings on the horizon and the lush foliage of the boulevard, to the seabirds catching their meal from the sea.
A couple of bikers figured in as subjects, as did a young lei vendor, and another vendor selling Filipino native delicacies. They willingly posed for the venerable master.
Among the topics discussed by the seasoned painter Rafael Popoy Cusi was the interesting effect of juxtapositioning two things being seen or placed together with contrasting effect.

He also discussed the color wheel, stating that he seldom used the colors black and white. Rather, he blends various hues of color to achieve black and white such as grays, violet, dark reds and dark greens for in reality according to him, the subtle variations in hue are determined by the effect of light on your perspective.
On-the-spot painting uses natural light and is therefore more challenging for an artist has to deal with the changing light.