Amorsolo Drawings
by Dr. Rod. Paras-Perez
9" x 12", 62 pages, softbound, 1992.
Published on the occasion of his birth centennial (1892-1992)

REMEMBERING PAPA
By Sylvia Amorsolo Lazo

PAPA usually picked Mama to pose for his pencil sketches. She often dressed as a typical Filipina - with a bandana and a bunch of fruits or flowers; also, as a mother carrying a child in the countryside.

BECAUSE he saw his family day in and day out, our faces ended up many times in his paintings. Sometimes only one of us posed for him. I still remember how I would spend a few minutes posting in different characters: like, a dancing girl or a simple girl with a parol - for a Christmas issue of a magazine. There were also times when he would simply look at us and before we knew it, he would have already made quick sketches of our hands and feet.

PAPA concentrated on his paintings everyday but he always found time to make pencil sketches. He did most of these at home. Some were however done in place like Luneta, where he usually went with the family to wait for the sunset. Marilao and Santa Maria, Bulacan; also, Nueva Ecija were the provinces he frequented - sketching farmers planting rice, harvesting, etc. And everytime he made studies of the farmers, he would always give them some money. The same was true with our helpers whenever he asked them to do certain poses. He would reason. . . "Kinuha natin sila bilang katulong sa bahay. Dahil ang pag-posing ay hindi kasama sa kasunduan, nararapat lang na bigyan sila ng extrang bayad."

HE was very considerate. He would always ask his model, "Napapagod ka na ba?"

WHEN I was a child I asked him why he kept asking everybody to pose for him when I knew very well how to draw everything. Sabi nga niya, "Iba iyong nakikita mong aktual dahil lahat ng kilos ng tao ay iba-iba, depende sa subjet. Sa ganitong paraan ay nakagagawa ako ng realistic na trabaho. Kahit ang mga lugar ay sinasadya kong puntahan para mapagaralan ko ang mga iba-ibang paligid lalo na ang tama ng araw sa anumang oras. Gustong-gusto ko nga ang tanghaling tapat na ipinta dahil duon matindi ang epekto ng araw."

DURING the Japanese occupation, we were living in Azcarrga (Now Claro M. Recto) which was very near Far Eastern University, then a Japanese garrison. Afraid for our safety, Papa decided to rent another house in Raon Street. Mama and the rest of the family were to stay there while Papa (with some male relatives) stayed in Azcarraga during daytime. Papa sketched war scenes from his window or sometimes on the rooftop to catch a quick glimpse of the planes fighting in the sky. We were then busy posing for him - as hungry people looking for food in the garbage or as casual ties of war.

WHAT I am trying to say, I guess, is that Papa gave much importance to his studies based on actual scenes; drawing actual people - from farmers working in the fields, to dalagitas washing clothes or selling fruits. He was never content with what he had already seen. He believed nature had always something new to offer.

EARLY in the 1972's a group around fifty American tourists came to Papa's studio. Unfortunately, he was not feeling well at the time so he excused himself and asked me to attend them. I was really tense and felt at a loss as to how to entertain them until I thought of his sketches - intact and in several albums. I knew he did not show these publicly, except for a few of his collectors like Luis and Antonio Araneta and Jorge Vargas. But everytime he would ask me to paste his latest sketches in the album, I really enjoyed looking at them. How I wished others would be privileged to see them too! So on that occasion, I took the albums from his cabinet with the help of my sister, Luz, and showed them to the tourists. I was overjoyed watching the expressions on their faces and elated and the wonderful remarks about Papa's works. One of them exclaimed, "First time I've seen so many beautiful art studies made by one artist!"

THE tourists wanted so much to see him personally (even for just a few minutes) so I went to Papa's room and humbly convinced him to grant the visitors' wish. So he was in his studio, seated very weakly and very shy to say anything except a softly spoken "Thank you", while the Americans were busy shaking his hands and taking his picture with their cameras. In deferences to his physical condition however, they did not stay long.

I HAD mixed feelings afterwards, afraid he might get mad - dahil pinakialaman ko ang kanyang albums - but too eager as well, to relate what happened inside his studio that day. I could still see his teary eyes but happy face and how he humbly thanked me. He also gave me 250 pesos and my sister Luz, 150 pesos, for what we did. For Papa - ang kaunting molestia ay malaking utang na loob.