FC Zamora
Freelance Graphic Artist
The Artist
Davao City, Philippines
I am a self-taught graphic artist. At the age of 4, I started drawing sticks and circles and doodles. Since my elementary days, my talent or skill in art has been on the front line with my teachers as patrons. For instance, the the principal's office would call me for some art projects especially during special school events.
In addition to my role as the favorite artist of the school, I joined art contests to represent my school. I remember winning one inter-school or was it division-wide art contest whose prize included a large powder laundry soap. My grandmother was happy with the powder laundry soap and would always bring the topic during family gatherings.
I never had a lull when it comes to art project that usually ranged from scrapbook and sash lettering, classroom posters and decorative arts and other student project drawings that would keep me busy all the time. In fact, I mastered the Philippine map because of countless posters I drew for a number of pupils who would run to me for paid assistance. My neighbors' kids would also run to me for their various drawing projects. Because of this, my grandmother gave me a room as my working area. I really enjoyed my role as the artist of the school that when I graduated, they conferred me "Artist of the Year" award.
At that early age, I learned to get my allowances from my art projects. When I was in high school, my elementary teachers still looked for me for their classroom decorations, posters, scrapbooks, etc. This time, however, I started to have other friends who who needed me for their teaching materials.
I was a working student back in college. And my first work was with a cause-oriented group in 1985 where I further explored into other art-related skills and fully tapped my art through some of its publications where I rendered illustrations. In various occasions, I also acted as one of the resource persons during skills trainings. I acquired additional skills during my stint with the Mindanao-wide institution. For instance, learning photography was one of the skills that I acquired during this time and applied the same when I had field visits to the various communities in Mindanao.
The first major project I had this time was to provide illustrations for a book of a Protestant NGO based in Cagayan de Oro City (NOrthern Mindanao). Apart from the remuneration I received, I was was recognized as the illustrator. Since then, more projects came in
while working in NGOs where social issues started to be part of my drawings. It was this time that I drew editorial cartoons and submitted the same in our campus paper in 1986. In 1989, I drew my first editorial cartoon and submitted it to the Peoples Daily Forum, one of the pioneering newspapers in Mindanao. During this time, I also drew cartoons for other newspapers and magazines like the Mindanao Gazette, Dimension, and other NGO quarterly publications/journals.
Not for long, I moved to Ang Peryodiko Dabaw (now Sun-Star Davao) in 1990. Sun-Star Davao is one of the widely-read newspaper in Davao City. I gave myself a one-year break from SSD and drew cartoons for PDF. Then went back again to SSD. In 2002, I met national capital region-based cartoonists like Tonton Young, the late Nonoy Marcelo and Larry Alacala or Mang Larry, Bobby Jose, Roni Santiago, Norman Isaac (whom I called my bad influence), Jun Aquino, Rene Aranda and the late Boy Togonon and Cebu-based Joshua Cabrera during the Kartun Asia Conference in Manila Hotel. I was lucky because I had the chance to discuss with Mang Larry in the hotel where we were both billeted, many things about editorial cartooning or cartooning perse. (photo: I'm 5th from left)
In 1996, I was active in the local art scene through group art exhibits with fellow home-grown artists like Lito Pepito, Bert Monterona, George So, Bong Espinosa, Rodney Yap, Paeng Cruz, Pet Padon and other visual artists who have successfully carved a name of their own in the local art scene. My medium ranges from lowly ballpen, pen and ink, oil pastel, oil to watercolor. We had also a group "Lakbay Diwa" composed of social realist visual artists. But it was only for a while. When I landed a job with another NGO, I failed to strike a blance between my passion in painting and work. Good thing that I had commissioned projects where I fully expressed my ideas. I want to go back to painting really. Perhaps, one of these days.
Needless to say that I dabbled as freelance graphic artist, visual artist, editorial cartoonist and NGO worker until 2005. After that I decided to focus momentarily to graphic arts. Not for long I again worked for over a year with a government project consulting office and ended it mid of 2008.
Even when I had various work involvements, graphic art projects given to me by friends from NGOs and through friends and contacts kept coming. I thought this was an opportunity too to give graphic art design much attention with home as office.
(Left to right: WBrown shoes done in red ballpen and right, one of my watercolor paintings done in 1996)