by OP Monzon
Anybody could be charmed by the paintings of Cenon de Guzman. The first time I saw his paintings on facebook, I was awestruck. His fruits on still life wait as an after dinner dessert, his landscape is a setting made for an afternoon walk, and his portrait appears to give a smile on you. Like Harry Potter, he captivates with his magic paint and brush. I was absorbed and wrapped into his world not of fantasy, but realism.
I have arranged an interview with Cenon, I did not know he lives in a faraway land, distant from the city in Pangasinan. After some weeks, he sent a notice if we could meet in Manila as he will buy some art materials in nearby Sampaloc. My answer was simply yes, I was pressed to meet the man behind these posts.
Cenon came with a pastel portrait of myself. I told him this is not part of the deal, but I was deeply touched by his act of generosity. He sent a picture of the portrait by FB messenger a day before we met. I was startled in the middle of traffic, I was wearing the same checkered red shirt on the day he sent the portrait.
“Where did you get your reference”, I asked him. It was a picture taken by Limboy Picardal, a friend artist who posted our picture together on facebook. He said he couldn’t discern much from the picture as my face was pixelized!
Cenon came with two of his friends, Joel C Janer and Aizza Joy Mapanao- Allid, I would find later they were both outstanding artists. Cenon is a gentle kind of man, a man who compliments others. He narrates his humbling story on how his paintings came alive.
I felt a little heaven in this encounter.
CENON DE GUZMAN recalls his passion for painting started when he was barely six. It was cousin Ate Perla who caught his eye, drawing still life. In his fourth grade, he met a man from Nueva Ecija who drew portraits using characters from comic books. He was fascinated, but he knew he could also draw those pictures. On his sixth grade, his teacher was amazed when he gave her, a gift of her portrait done on pencil.
In high school, a man demonstrated how to do portraits with charcoal. He taught him the rudiments of portrait drawing, how to use the grid, where shadows should fall, how background should complement the sitter. And how the subject’s gaze should be the center of all. He was given the task to draw celebrities on newspapers and magazines. This was the beginning of his first love in painting: portraits.
Kuya Tommy and her mother praised him, they saw a vision that this young boy will become an artist. They have become his source of strength and confidence.
HE COMES FROM A POOR BUT UPRIGHT FAMILY
His parents could not afford to buy the art materials he needed. He made his own charcoal by burning branches of guava trees. He would climb trees with a knife in hand, start a fire and collect the burnt branches at the right moment. He gathered cigarette boxes from sari-sari stores and garbage cans so he could use them as drawing papers.
His father was an enlisted man in the Navy, although his salary could not well support a growing brood’s necessity for food and education. They were raised to be honest, and even with meager resources, they were taught to share.
OPPORTUNITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL
In high school, he was selected to represent his town for poster making to compete with other students from other schools in Pangasinan. He did not expect to emerge as the winner but he did. He remembers he became an instant celebrity in school as classmates queue to have their own portraits done. He welcomed all opportunities that pass through him.
He was also able to represent his hometown to compete in an art contest in La Union province and in the regional level competition in Pampanga where he placed 2nd.
GREAT INFLUENCE IN HIS LIFE ART CAREER
He recognizes several people who have contributed much to his learning tree:
One of them was Cenon Arquero from San Nicolas, his namesake. He was one of the students of national artist Fernando Amorsolo.
“I learned the essence of painting from Tatang Cenon, the basic elements of painting, drawing, coloring and the values of painting. He was a great mentor, a life coach. I was so proud to be taught by somebody like him. He changed my life.”
His father did not approve of his decision to enroll in Fine Arts. He insisted the course is mainly for the rich and will not offer him any future. He could not support him either as art materials are expensive.
He enrolled instead in an Associate Course in Marine Engineering in a school in Las Pinas and stayed in a relative’s house in Cavite City. By providence, his new residence was near a studio gallery owned by artist Protacio “Cho” Angue, who offered him to work as an apprentice. Working in a gallery uncovered many aspects of the arts – skills to give his best as there are other better artists in town, maintain good relationships with artists and art collectors, how to run a gallery and sell paintings. Cho Angue would always tell him, “sa sipag at tiyaga, malayo ang mararating mo”.
He also met Mr. Ric Diaz, known as Mang Piali from Noveleta, Cavite, a student of Simeon Saulog who is a traditional and pastel artist. Mang Piali taught him how to work with the new medium.
His skills in portraiture now established and refined, he was trained to talk to his portraits and start a conversation to know each other.
Cenon’s role model is artist Norbing Villez. Norbing, as they call him has given Cenon's group immeasurable support and reassurance to continue their art in spite of the many obstacles in life. The group found a true friend and benefactor in Norbing as he dedicated himself to serve the Filipino artist. Even if he is based in another country, he never fails, he came to be physically present to open his group’s art exhibits and at the time when he is needed.
Cenon gives credit to the person of Bueno Silva, a master artist from Chicago to play a major role in his learning tree. They became friends on facebook and have never met, but Silva would provide the time and the perseverance to guide him. He would remind Cenon to ‘be humble, to trust himself and to always give thanks to God who gives talents and victory’.
ANSWERING A CALL FOR VOCATION
He responded to God's call in 1994 when he was 21 by entering the Union Theological Seminary in Dasmarinas, Cavite. It was his dream to become a Protestant Pastor. He graduated in 2000, was assigned to different churches in the Philippines under the umbrella of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. He was ordained as Reverend in 2004 in San Nicolas, Pangasinan.
While in the seminary, he was willing to give up his painting career and to concentrate on his ministry. He found out he was not himself without his paint and brushes. He needed to paint to sustain himself. His American Professors commissioned him to do oil paintings of portraits and murals. He had his first solo exhibit at the library of the Seminary during its foundation day celebration, a building block added to his cap. By now he has developed a certain character to his paintings which has become his oeuvre signature.
He got married in 2005 to Imelda Mejica from Poblacion East in San Nicolas. They were gifted with a daughter, Elixia.
AS PASTOR AND ARTIST
He was assigned to pastor a church in San Manuel, Pangasinan, a community situated in a resettlement area where majority of members are farmers and workers in the dam site.
His priority has become his church, his family and his art. Together with Elito Circa aka Amang Pintor, they have organized an art group, the Makasining Pinas Tayug Chapter in 2016. The Let’s Paint Group have given him an opportunity to be included in its various artists’ exhibit at Forest Lodge in Baguio City. He recently concluded “Shepherd’s Touch”, a successful 4-Man Exhibit composed of four Pastors, Ron Vinculado, Antonio Paras Limboy Picardal and himself at Fred’s Gallery in Baguio City. This is the first time that all four Pastors met, but they were friends connected only by social media.
Proceeds of his paintings sold from exhibits help furnish the needs of his community in San Manuel.
In his light and free moments Cenon plays basketball, loves to bike with friends around places in Pangasinan, strums the guitar and plays the piano. He interacts regularly with members of his Community.
QUOTABLE QUOTES FROM CENON
“I draw my endless strength from the support of my family and my faith loving Community. I paint from the heart that is full of love and hard work. My first love is portrait. I love painting faces of people, a different kind of experience for me. If the artist gets the emotion of the subject, they could understand each other.”
“I love painting rustic landscapes. I would like to give meaning to the simple life, a place not given much importance by many who think it is just ordinary. A place so ordinary could be special to the eyes of an artist.”
“My work is a reflection of God work. For me, I see Shepherd’s touch in a simple family life, simple happiness and trust come in the goodness of the Lord. The children in my flock have taught me wonderful lessons in life.”
“The people that I met as mentors were generous people. They taught me to share my skills with others. But above all, it is God who led me to meet them.”
“God is the greatest artist. I am just privileged that I have been entrusted with this gift of talent, and not to use it is my greatest failure.”
As we open and take a look at Cenon de Guzman’s collection of paintings and portraits, we can now comprehend his life and times.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Orestes P. Monzon presently chairs the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital and works as member of the Board of Radiologic Technology at the Professional Regulation Commission. Writer Alma C. Miclat in her Inquirer article wrote about his paradigm journey as radiologist to becoming a visual artist. As he is not an art critic, he focuses on writing about the person as an artist. He started AA Appreciating Arts, 25 Paintings Raffle to raise funds for charity and Ordinary Artists Group that reach out to the hearing impaired, the senior citizens and persons with disabilities, His bucket is still empty of a First Solo Art Exhibit.
Comments