Road Trip to Angono

Angono, Rizal is said to be the art capital of the Philippines. It is about an hours drive from Makati CBD (depending on the traffic… which I know is very unpredictable).

The town traces its artistic roots to Angono Petroglyphs in Binangonan, the oldest rock art in the Philippines, with over 127 stone carvings

The one who discovered these Petroglyphs was none other than Botong Francisco, one of the town’s pioneer artists.

Next stop was the Blanco Family Museum.

A sampling of the Higantes Festival, a local festival held annually In Angono, Rizal, Philippines. This can be seen on the entry to the museum.

This celebrates the artwork of the whole Blanco family. The museum is headed by renowned painter Jose “Pitok” V. Blanco, a muralist and National Artist nominee known for his colorful works.

And then there’s his seven children, Glenn, Noel, Michael, Joy, Jan, Gay, and Peter Paul, who are all involved in the arts. And then there’s his wife who is painting as well. All practicing artists and all doing realistic style.

But what impressed me most was how young some of them started painting.

Peter Paul’s Painting at age 7

Peter Paul’s painting at age 8

Gay’s painting at age 3

Noel’s work at age 16

Michael’s painting at 12

Jan’s work at age 5

Gay’s work at age 6

On the back gardens of the Blanco Museum

Art galleries and museums abound, which have become favorite places among local and international guests visiting the town like Balaw-Balaw Restaurant and Folk Art Museum.

There we had lunch…supposed to be exotic dishes but were unavailable.

Just a short walk is another quirky place called Nemiranda Atelier Museum, which is also a cafe. And this is my nephew…

There’s more artsy things going on but that’s for another date and blog

For Jo’s Monday Walk

Dan’s Thursday Doors Challenge

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge . CFFC

Xingfumama’s Pull Up a Seat Challenge

Natalie’s Photographing cPublic Art Challenge