A sudden chill greeted me that morning—a real shock for us who were used to the tropical weather. I had spent the week juggling endless work tasks at the office. I knew I needed a break, so I signed up for Gladys Ann Labsan’s acrylic painting workshop with Black Volume.
I hadn’t painted in a while, and I had been thinking about how important it is not to lose that ability. The workshop, rescheduled to Saturday, March 14, turned out to be the perfect opportunity to pick up a brush again while finding a way to destress.
So I braved the cold and grabbed whatever painting materials I could find, just in case I needed extras. The workshop bundle already included all the materials we needed, but I thought it would help to be a little more prepared.
The sky was clear, and the sun’s warmth helped balance the chill. Thankfully, I arrived just a few minutes before the workshop formally began. I entered Hiraya Café and found an empty seat in front of my friend Duke, another member of the Black Volume family. We were handed white paper bags tied with a black ribbon—very characteristic of Black Volume’s brand. Inside were acrylic paint tubes, paintbrushes, a palette, and two canvases. As it turned out, the organizers had provided more than enough materials for everyone.
Gladys introduced herself and passed the microphone so we could all say something about ourselves as well. Right away, I was inspired by the fact that Gladys only started painting at 35 years old and is now in her early 40s. I am about to turn 30 in a few months, and I’m sure I’m not alone in sometimes feeling like I’m running behind or wasting my potential over the past few years. Hearing someone start later in life and still pursue their passion in art is very reassuring. It reminds us that it is never too late to do the things we want in life.
The subject for the workshop was a sleeping cat. For some reason, I had assumed we would be painting subjects of our own choosing, which was apparently the case in the first acrylic workshop that I was not able to attend. But it also makes sense for everyone to paint the same subject and follow the same steps. That’s where both the challenge and the fun come from. I found it interesting to try colors and techniques that I probably would not have used if I were painting alone.
Gladys demonstrated water washes and other color-mixing techniques. It was my first time not using black at all in a painting, because we followed her method of mixing brown and blue for the darkest parts of the artwork.
After finishing the first layers of paint, we paused for the much-awaited part: brunch. You can’t work on an empty stomach, and after all, this is called the Brunch Club for a reason! We were free to choose from the available meals and drinks at Hiraya. I went for the breakfast plate, which included a sausage, two eggs, a few strips of bacon, and two fluffy pancakes drizzled with syrup, paired with an iced latte. We were seated at the veranda, where the sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze was blowing—exactly the kind of atmosphere I love. The sunlight and the wind also helped dry the background layers of our paintings quickly. I took my time finishing my plate while painting.
At first, I was worried that I might not live up to my description as one of the more experienced painters in the group. I had been an award-winning painter in my high school years and also studied briefly in an animation school before returning to corporate life recently. I remember that my teachers in art school often said that it can be harder to teach artists who have already developed their own style because they sometimes struggle to adjust their techniques.
I have seen the same thing happen in the university choir as well when we teach new members the discipline of classical choral singing.
This time, I found myself either lagging behind or getting ahead of the steps that Gladys was demonstrating. At times I even painted in the wrong spots and had to fix them later by painting over them. But our host and the rest of the participants were all very relaxed, so no one felt pressured during the workshop. I chuckled at my little mistakes and simply kept going. At one point, a line began to circulate around the class like a mantra: “Trust the process.”
And indeed, our paintings were eventually completed.
Towards the end, I felt myself entering a kind of momentum, as if my hand was beginning to remember how it used to paint. It almost felt like it was moving on its own, making strokes and color combinations that were not part of the instructions.
In the end, my tabby cat turned into a calico because of my palette choices—and perhaps also because there was not enough time to repaint everything. The odd proportions I had initially sketched eventually filled in, and I think even the others began to realize that my strange pencil lines and early paint layers were simply the “skeleton” of a fur-covered kitty.
It was amazing to see how we all painted the same subject and followed the same steps, yet still ended up with distinct interpretations.
As a teacher myself, I could almost feel Gladys’ relief toward the end of the workshop. She mentioned that she had been nervous because this was her first time leading an acrylic painting workshop. I felt happy for how my painting turned out, for the other participants who were smiling at their finished pieces, and for Gladys, who had successfully ticked off another item on her bucket list with Black Volume’s support.
Overall, I felt really good about this event. It was a great way to destress while also learning something new and challenging my creative side. I’m very glad I made time to come, and I’m already excited to join the next Brunch Club!
~Nami
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