I received my first set of acrylic pastes in January 2020 (courtesy of my cousin, Ate Flor), and I’ve not stopped thinking about painting since then. The box has 18 12ml tubes of all basic colors with shades varying from light to dark.
18 hues, the possibilities are crazy. They can copy the pictures in my head better than my old bottles of poster color and that pan of watercolor-for-gradeschoolers.
I remember being told, “Why paint? You’re a writer. Presenting another skill might confuse your audience altogether.” Thing is, if I’d trace my youth, my first love really was creating images. I used to spend all weekend lying on my belly, filling a notebook not with words but with sketches. Then? Why the years-long halt? Long story. But I eventually discovered the magic of words, how they can paint images too.
I think picture and words make an exquisite pair. I caption all my artworks. It’s true, a painting alone can say it all. But when it’s adorned with words, it can say it all better.
Elaine Marie Factor 