CATHOLIC CHURCH VS. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS FOR FILIPINO WOMEN

This is a must-see video, especially for Filipino women!

Empower Filipino Women

I have started a petition to stop the Philippine Supreme Court from suspending indefinitely the Reproductive Health Law signed by President Benigno Aquino in December 2012.
For those against abortion, please note that the RH Bill, which was suspended indefinitely by the Philippine Supreme Court, does not legalize abortion.  All it does is provide free access to contraceptives to the nation's poorest and sex education in schools.  This issue is very important to me, and I need your help to do something about it! Please sign and pass it on.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Responsible_Parenthood_for_Filipino_Women/?copy

Empower Filipino Women

www.avaaz.org

The Reproductive Health Law was signed by President Benigno Aquino in December 2012 after a bitter 14-year battle between women’s rights advocates and Catholic bishops. It would fund access to contraceptives for the nation’s poorest women and promote sex education in schools. The Supreme Court stall...

A gem at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Last February, I went to Kuala Lumpur for the first time.  At the airport, I inquired about the Shangri-la Hotel shuttle.  I didn't know I had to book in advance but the guy from Shangri-la got me a taxi instead.  What luck!  I got Mr. Gobee A/L Ragaven who took me to my hotel for less than what I would have paid for the Hotel limo.  Moreover, he gave me useful bits of information about Kuala Lumpur.  

I booked Gobee for my return trip to the airport and he showed up earlier than agreed.  I told him I wasn't able to try a typical Malaysian breakfast so, because we had plenty of time, he took me to a stall where he buys his breakfast, run by a Malaysian man and his Indonesian wife.  He helped me order Nasi lemak (coconut rice with egg, fish and sambal chili) and some fiery chicken dish.  The lady wrapped the whole thing in banana leaves and paper, then stuffed it in a plastic bag with a plastic spoon - all for a song.

Gobee then drove me to the airport and suggested that, after checking in, I should seat myself in a Malaysian coffee house which are aplenty in the airport, and enjoy my breakfast.  I ordered a cup of coffee and dug in.  My mouth was on fire but the whole thing was delicious!

I should have written about Gobee months ago but I misplaced his card.  I just found it among my papers so here are his contact details, just in case you need a reliable guide in Kuala Lumpur.

Airport Limo (M) SDN BHD
Gobee A/L Ragaven:  016-245-9918  (Limo 2895)   

View from the Hill

Yesterday was a busy day for me. I made orange marmalade, put the finishing touches on my latest painting, and started a new canvas. Below is View from the Hill, oil on canvas, 16" x 20".  A former art teacher used to say I painted like I was on acid. :)

OLPE Exhibit Extended at the Watergate Gallery

The exhibit "Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion" at the Watergate Gallery is being extended until Saturday, October 19, 2013.  The varied interpretation of the theme by 33 local artists (including myself) has drawn quite a bit of interest.  If you haven't seen the show, there are additional receptions scheduled as follows:

Reception:  Thursday, September 26,  6:30-8:30 pm
Reception:  Saturday, October 5, 5:00 - 8:00 pm

PARTY TO END THE EXHIBIT:   Saturday, October 19, 5-8 pm

The OLPE Art Reception

Exhibition: Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion  September 7 – October 5, 2013

The opening reception came and went.  The gallery was crowded and the atmosphere lively.  The show was quite interesting, each piece representing the artist's interpretation of the theme accompanied by a narrative explaining the artwork.  I wrote the following narrative to describe my painting, Grief:

The theme of the exhibition inspired me to revisit my paintings of women in distress.  I have always been drawn to create portraits of suffering women.   It is my way of paying homage to my mother and the women in my family, not only because of their tenacity to face daily challenges, but also for the courage and resolve with which they confront life's adversities.  Grief reflects all these things and more - pain, exhaustion, grief, despair.

 
If you did not make it to the opening, there will be additional receptions at the gallery:

Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 – 8:30 pm 
Thursday, September 26, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Saturday, October 5, 6:00 - 8:00 pm  (end of exhibition)
 
Watergate Gallery is located in the lower level (accessible by escalator or stairs) of the Watergate building, next to CVS.
 
Watergate Gallery & Frame Design
2552 Virginia Avenue NW
Washington DC 20037 
tel: 202.338.4488

OLPE Exhibit - A Reminder

Exhibition: Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion

I will be part of a group exhibition at the Watergate Gallery & Frame Design from September 7 - October 5, 2013.  Opening reception is on Saturday, September 7, 5:00 - 8:00 pm.

If you are in the Washington, DC area,  please come and see the show.  Watergate Gallery is located in the lower level (accessible by escalator or stairs) of the Watergate building, next to CVS.
September 7 – October 5, 2013
  
Watergate Gallery & Frame Design
2552 Virginia Avenue NW
Washington DC 20037tel: 202.338.4488

If you can't make it to the opening reception, the following are additional receptions:

Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 – 8:30 pm 
Thursday, September 26, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Saturday, October 5, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Stop the Anti-Women Gag Rule!!!

Sold into marriage at 12, Sahar Gul lived in a house of horrors. Her in-laws chained her in the basement, beat her with red hot iron pipes, starved her and pulled out all her fingernails when she refused to prostitute herself for them.

Her attackers’ sentence was reduced to a meager one year, and now they’re free again! Worse still, the Lower House of Afghan Parliament just passed a bill that would ban aggressors’ family members from testifying in court. This would prevent countless children and women from ever getting justice.

The Upper House has beaten back anti-women legislation before and high-level officials say the Avaaz community could tip the balance and help stop the bill before it goes to a vote. But to do that, we need to act fast. Click the link below to sign this urgent petition now -- when we reach 1 million signers we’ll launch a massive local media campaign targeting key senators until the bill is dumped.

 

Here is the link:  https://secure.avaaz.org/en/justice_for_afghan_women_loc/?fVikCab

Exhibition: Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion

I will be part of a group exhibition at the Watergate Gallery & Frame Design from September 7 - October 5, 2013.  If you are in the Washington, DC area,  come and see the show.  Below are the details.

Watergate Gallery is located in the lower level (accessible by escalator or stairs) of the Watergate building, next to CVS.

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL EXHAUSTION

September 7 – October 5, 2013
 
Watergate Gallery & Frame Design
2552 Virginia Avenue NW
Washington DC 20037
 
tel: 202.338.4488

Opening reception:  Saturday, September 7, 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Additional receptions:
Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Thursday, September 26, 6:30 - 8:30 pm 
Saturday, October 5, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Artwork

I was checking out my website a few days ago when I realized that viewers may have been missing the page "Artwork".  This page has a drop-down menu which leads you to the different types of genre I do (portrait, still-life, nude, landscape, etc.).  However, if you place your cursor on Artwork (next to Home), and click on it, you will get the intro to my art and a slideshow of about 30 paintings in my portfolio.  Try it!

 

Women's Review of Books July/August issue

My painting, Voices of Hope, is featured in the July/August issue of Women's Review of Books. It was used to illustrate the review of "Mapping Arab Women's Movements".  What a thrill to see it on the cover!  

Here is the link to the review:
http://www.wcwonline.org/Women-s-Review-of-Books/womens-review-of-books

Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion

I have been invited to submit my work in a special exhibition called "Our Lady of Perpetual Exhaustion" from August 27 - October 4, 2013.  I started painting a veiled lady with a sorrowful face but wasn't happy with it. I went on vacation and upon return, I scrapped it.

One day, I was looking at old photographs and saw one of my late mother's on her 81st birthday. Something clicked.  I decided to paint her, silver hair and all. The portrait is almost done.  Although the exhibition theme inspired me to paint her, I decided to keep it and submit another piece for the exhibition.  Back to work.

No more errors!

Guess what!  My art website is now up and running, thanks to webbrewers.com!  No more errors (hopefully).  Check it out.

http://paintingsbycynthia.com

To the Hotshots

Dedicated to the 19 members of the elite group of firefighters, Hotshots, who were killed in the Yarnell, Arizona wildfire. This is to remind us how unpredictable and deadly wildfires can be.

 Wildfire by Cynthia Angeles, Oil on Canvas, 21" x 31"

Website Move

I have been having problems with my (free) website host (000webhost.com) for almost two weeks now.  Perhaps, it is time to graduate to paid hosting.  I apologize in advance if you are not able to visit my website for a few days but it will soon be up, many thanks to webbrewers.com.

Nelson Mandela and His Family

This is not a proper venue to voice out my opinions about public figures but I will make an exception for Nelson Mandela.  He is my ideal of a good leader and a good person.  The many times my husband had traveled to Pretoria and Johannesburg on business, he always hoped he'd get a chance to meet the great Madiba.  I, too, during my few visits there, dreamed I would see him by accident.

Now that Mandela is lying close to death in a hospital bed, his family is feuding about his grave site and monies.  The great leader who, after 26 years of imprisonment, took control of the country, tried everything to reconcile the black majority and the Afrikaners who imposed apartheid.

"Evidently grace and dignity are not inherited," an editorial in the Citizen, a local paper, wrote.     

Here it is again - No Apologies: A Slideshow of My Art

The above video is a virtual gallery of my work.  Why the title No Apologies?  My styles and themes are so varied that most people say my art portfolio looks like a group exhibition.  Usually, galleries show artists with a common theme and a consistent style.  I prefer to paint what I feel and sometimes challenge myself to try a genre I haven't done in the past.  The common threads that bind my art are the vivid colors and a "need to convey a mood or tell a story".      

How I clean my paint brushes and palette knives (update)

An artist should know how to treat paint brushes and palette knives with care.  From a class I took with Ed Furuike in Honolulu, I learned how to paint with a palette knife and how to clean it.  I first wipe off the excess paint in a newspaper or an old phonebook page, then clean it with a baby wipe sheet.  Works like magic!

When I'm finished painting with my brushes, I dip them in turpenoid (water for acrylic users) and blot them on newspaper or cheap paper towels.  You can also clean them with baby wipes.  Once I'm done, I clean each brush with Lava soap, rinse it clean, then rub it on Octagon soap to soften the bristles.  I rinse the brushes thoroughly and let them dry upright in an empty container.

It sounds like a lot of work but taking care of your brushes and palette knives will assure a longer life.

Miami condo update

I finally found another condo for our vacation in South Beach.  It was a pleasant flat but the complex was too big and too crowded.  The parking was too far to walk with luggage and all.  Anyway, this may be our last visit there.  We had mostly stormy weather and only 1 1/2 days of sunshine during our 11-day stay. 

WHAT A SCAM!!!

We've just been scammed by a guy who phished a Florida realtor's email. We had already transfered funds to a Barclays account in Surrey, England of a Viktor Stoian before we found out from the real property manager that it was a scam. There were other victims.  So, beware!!!  Now, I've got to find another condo for our upcoming vacation.