FOOD For The Soul Outdoor Bazaar at Casa A. Gamboa in Silay City is certainly a breath of fresh air for all of us during this long, arduous forced homestay.
Finally, it is nice to once again be outside and enjoy the sun with artists, artisans and food aficionados at this fair. I wonder who has walked these gardens long before us.
Along with other artists, I also got to share my mini-paintings, mosaics and art merchandise (art mugs, pouches, bags) with guests and Silaynons. But what I also love about joining bazaars are the people that you get to meet as well as see friends, old and new.
I shared my booth with Nina Benitez who showcased her famous postcards and the dainty enamel pins and pendants. I loved how she turned her paintings into these beautiful pieces that you can wear or display at home. Tampisaw artist couple Jan and Erika Velasco launched their art pieces called Edisyon, featuring the different peoples and sights of Sugarlandia.
Our neighbors are also artist printmakers Mars Bugaoan, Lynell Gaston, and Angela Silva. Lynell Gaston made these linocut prints (I bought one!), while Mars Bugaoan also brought his prints and leaf sculptures. Angela Silva brought her cyanotypes, another form of alternative photography producing monochromatic blue images on paper.
Silaynon artists headed by Ian Valladarez also offered on-the-spot portrait sketching in the gardens. Ian Valladarez showed me his brightly-colored filament sculptures which were interestingly fun and just right up my alley. Of course, Ian showcased his dragon wire sculpture and the little wire ants with the sugarcane ‘patdan’.
Added to my “cart” were some rarely seen Sundol along with yummy Silaynon specials from ‘manuglibods’ presented by the Balay Negrense. I also bought some precious “ginamos” or shrimp paste from my hometown Saravia (E. B. Magalona). I chose some pretty bowls from Wala Usik booth and thankfully (and happily) got a whole bag of found sea glass from Kaila Ledesma-Trebol. Handicrafts, lamps, ceramics, plants, and clothes were also sold in the bazaar.
Paintings and other kinds of artworks were also there from artists Rodney Martinez and Edbon Sevilleno. You can score a Martinez for 2,000. My brother Edbon’spaintings in this bazaar are more modern and abstracts (ehem... a special request from the sister).
Siempre, when two or more Negrenses are gathered, food will never be absent. The staff of Casa Gamboa prepared a feast and I love the Madam’s crunchy chicken with the garlic-mayo sauce. For coffee lovers, locally blended coffee from Coffee Culture was served. And because I am no coffee drinker, I shared some Nonino Grappa with my Silaynoon friends to celebrate the clear night skies and successful bazaar.
You better watch out and get your masks on, we might be back sooner than you know it.
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