-- a post by Thea Balmes (one of the talented, young artists that make up the Kariton Collective)
So last weekend, the members of the Kariton Collective: Kristina, Charisse, Randy, Daks and myself, completed our very first ever collaborative project. I’d say an amazing feat for an emerging group of artists like us. Painting four hours a day in three days, the mural on an 8 x 16 canvas was completed for Toronto’s Fringe Festival. For artists who aren’t generally used to having people watch over their shoulders while they work, painting in the alley way of Honest Ed’s was certainly a different experience.
It was a little bit exciting, a little bit intimidating, a little bit dramatic and actually a lot of fun. The result? Eclectic, dreamlike/nightmarish and fantastical images sprinkled with a little bit of cuteness. When you see it, I promise you, your eyes will feast with delight. But the coolest thing is having the passerby and theatre goers stop by to witness the colourful transformation happening on the canvas. Their responses were generally positive. I mean when your artwork catches a 9 year old kid’s attention span long enough to warrant a “Now that’s abstract!” comment and having his mother pull him out of the alleyway, I’d say that that’s pretty positive!
- Thea Balmes
Keep an eye out for more from The Kariton Collective here @Kapisanan where they'll be launching the Kariton Art Program: This program is a series of art workshops that the Kariton Collective will be hosting. It is open to anyone who is 18 years old and above and interested in exploring visual arts through different media. Both Filipinos and non-Filipinos are welcome.
We'll keep you posted. Look for the first series of the Kariton Art Program to pop up at the end of JULY. Details & workshop schedule coming soon!