Food Hall 999 Mall Tondo Manila Contrasts Print

What is central to my work is observation. I was taught observational drawing at Brockenhurst 6th Form college. This was followed up at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the UK. I regularly attended formal life drawing classes. This is what David Hockney calls ‘eyeballing’. I was a teacher for 30 years in various High Schools in London. I did keep up my interest in art and produced a number of watercolors whilst on holiday in Europe. I might consider entering them here. Since retiring I moved to the Philippines. I started drawing in pencil on small postcards. I observed life in the large shopping Malls found in Metro Manila. One I concentrated on, in particular, was the 168 SM Mall in Tondo Manila, especially in the food hall there. I would always tend to sit down in the same seat. This way I could hold down a number of constants such as chairs, tables, and my two ‘manikin mates’. I also moved from using pencils to black Biro pens. I also play and improvise on the tenor saxophone. If you mess up in a solo you have to ‘make good’ in real-time, the same is true when using an ink pen. Texting is very common in the Philippines. This way I could concentrate on figures as they tended to stay still. I am always very respectful. I have witnessed a range of emotions in the food hall. Working on a small scale, I am also very discreet. In this example, I managed to get a good likeness of the young gentleman sitting in the front. Have studied Art History at 6th form and at University, there is a bit of a Baroque influence in the way the two manikins are looking out at you in the picture, there is also a play of different head positions. There is a distinct foreground, middle ground, and background as well. The ‘Golden Mean’ proportion seems to be hard-wired into my work as well. Remember this work in observed, ‘eyeballed and not based on a photograph. It was drawn in real-time.