snake beads

The older women of the Sagada region in Northern Philippines often wear beautiful beads and jewelries during ceremonies. There are a few that wear the snake skeleton around the head also. I remember my grandmother wearing one.  This is a painting of a woman in Kilong, my ancestral village near Sagada. Watercolor, 8"x10" (Original SOLD).

Head dresses

Towards the end of summer in Stockton, a three day pow wow is held at the University of the Pacific campus. I always look forward to this event because the gathering reminds me a lot of my tribal roots. Even though I trace my tribal roots to the mountain tribes of the Philippines, I am always amazed at the similarities in dances, feather head dresses, and even the patterns used in the clothes. I see this similarity also in the Nepalese, the Andean folks, and several other mountain people from other parts of the globe. During these pow wows, it is easy for me to forget where I am. I become a spectator but also a participant just by being there. Interestingly, I always get asked if I had danced already.

This is a painting of a Southern Traditional dancer typified by the buckskin pants and the porcupine hair head dress. I couldn't come up with a good title for this painting without sounding generic so i am just titling it "Pacifica", watercolor 12"x16".

manioc

Manioc, or cassava, was ubiquitous in Gabon.  It is the equivalent of rice in Asia or bread in America.  "Mama with baton de manioc", watercolor.