Inquirer Visayas
Art and law meet in this office
By Joey A. Gabieta
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:52:00 05/31/2008
TACLOBAN CITY – Visitors who enter lawyer Eric de Veyra’s office in Tacloban City may think they have stepped into an art gallery. They may be partly right since the room also displays the works of his artist-friend Mario Ortiz.
It all started in 2006 when Ortiz, a classmate in college, came to De Veyra’s office, bringing three works in pen and ink. “He was in financial need…Out of pity and being a friend, I bought [them],” the 50-year-old lawyer said. He brought one of the drawings home, and left the rest in his workplace.
After a few months, Ortiz returned to De Veyra, bringing more works for him to buy. Again, De Veyra came to the rescue of his friend, who was then sending a daughter to a nursing school.
But the lawyer said he could not have spare money all the time. “So I thought of something which will help him financially and, at the same time, allow him to practice his talent to paint,” he said.
He used his office as an art gallery to help Ortiz, “which is just good since we don’t have one in the city.” Since then, people have come to look at the paintings and buy those they like.
“All of his paintings are reasonably priced ranging from P3,500 to P7,000, depending on the size and degree of difficulty of the subject being painted by Mario,” De Veyra said.
Although he gets a commission for the paintings he sells, De Veyra said the scheme was not all about money. Having the paintings on display was his contribution to promoting arts in the city.
“Somehow, we help our people appreciate paintings done by a local talent like Mario,” he said.
De Veyra asked Ortiz to change his medium from pen and ink to the more challenging acrylic and oil, saying such paintings were what the public wants. The artist was also persuaded to do not only abstract paintings but other forms that prospective clients could easily appreciate and understand. “He now does portraits, figurative landscapes and rural genre,” De Veyra said.
Ortiz can finish two to three art works in a month, he said. “But the quality of his work is not being sacrificed based on the very encouraging words and appreciation that we receive from those who see and even buy his art works.”
“I am doing all my works meticulously and with full concentration. When I am doing my work, I don’t like to be disturbed. I am that focused,” Ortiz said.
The artist paints at his house in Basey town in Samar, 40 kilometers from Tacloban.
Some of his works are displayed in public offices, like the SOS Children Village, St. Paul’s Business School in Palo town, and at the municipal hall of Basey.
“Foreigners who drop by at my office to look at some of the paintings end up buying some,” De Veyra said.
Ortiz admitted that he had no formal painting lessons; neither did he attend any art workshop. “I guess, I really have the talent to draw, to sketch,” he said.
Ortiz said he had been painting since he was in college but was not able to pursue fully his passion since he was preoccupied with other things. “I also ended up working, which did not require me to paint or sketch,” he said.
When his married life turned sour, Ortiz went back to his first love – painting.
“My wife and I separated for some reasons. Expectedly, I was at my lowest level emotionally. And as a sort of relief, I engaged myself with painting, which I really love doing,” Ortiz said.
He realized that his works did not bring in money as he had expected, so he sought out and found a partner in De Veyra, enabling him to indulge in his talent and earn a decent income.
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