The Floral Bouquet Self-Portraits

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Naïve Art Cebu

Today we share with you more detail on the expressive arts session on Sunday which was the making of The Floral Bouquet Self-Portraits.
Click here to learn more about this workshop from previous post

Below is the step by step process in pictures…

Below are the individual portraits of our teenage participants:

Very creative use of the fruit stamps and stencils to make these awesome portraits, young ladies! Thank you for sharing your insights and reflections too. We wish you all the best in your learning and development. Till the next time!

LEARNING FROM NATURE’S RESILIENCE 4: FLOWERS & FRUITS

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Naïve Art Cebu

Yesterday, my siblings and I co-taught part 4 of our Learning from Nature’s Resilience workshop series. This time we took inspiration from the surviving trees and other flowering plants that have recovered and started to bloom, and some are even bearing fruit again!!!

Our participants were homeschooled teenage survivors of difficult situations traveling all the way from Northern Cebu.

My brother Joel Lee, Permaculture and Aprotech Solutions educator, facilitated the warm up laughter yoga and encouraged its regular practice as a way to health and relaxation.

My sister Eddy Lee, a conservation educator and ecotherapist, led the tour of the sanctuary’s food forest, higlighting the effect of Typhoon Odette on the fruit trees that were bent, and broken and uprooted. They noticed how the trees are starting to recover because the leaves have sprouted back. Some of the surviving trees, including a few mango trees, are even flowering. The meditation and vegetable gardens have also recovered and are blooming.

Here are the tools for the expressive arts session: Floral Bouquet Self-Portraits

Before starting the expressive arts segment of our Learning from Nature’s Resilience workshop I distributed the flower quotes below for the participants to discuss within their groups:

“Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower.” -John Harrigan
Flowers grow back even after they are stepped on, so will I!” – Author Unknown
“Nothing in nature blooms all year. Be patient with yourself!”
“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” – Zen Shin

Paulina Constancia demonstrates how to make the Floral Bouquet Self-Portraits using fruit stamps
(slices of the following fruit were provided: okra, cucumber, eggplant and balimbing aka starfruit or carambola)

The instruction for the expressive art session was :
Your life is God’s gift to you and what you make of it is like a bouquet of flowers that you give back to God, the earth and humanity. What kind of blossoms will you bear?
As you create your floral bouquet portrait focus on your pesonal resilient trait and be ready to share this with the group.

How to Make Your Floral Bouquet Self-Portrait

Use fruit slices provided: (okra, cucumber, eggplant and balimbing aka starfruit, carambola,) and watercolor to make prints on paper of flowers.
Practice with your stamps and layout on scrap paper provided before doing your final layout on the artboard provided
Allow work to dry completely before adding design details with ballpen and pencil crayons. Feel free to do freehand drawing or use some of the stencils available to add details to your work.
Prepare to share your work and personal resilient trait with the group.

Floral Bouquet Self-Portraits in the making

Quick sample floral portrait made by Paulina Constancia
Tools used: carambola (balimbing), cucumber (pepino), bird stencil, water-colour, brush, ballpen

MONA -Museum visit

Our teenage participants gather at the meditation garden at the Justice German Lee Nature Sanctuary

Thank you for joining us for a fun learning adventure at the Sanctuary. We hope you will apply the things you learned here today – Care for the earth, care for each other, care for the future and care to laugh, lots! And believe that you are resilient, you have the capacity to bounce back from the adversities life may throw your direction.

The Floral Assemblage Self Portraits

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Naïve Art Cebu

We are proud to share with you the creations of our recent Learning from Nature’s Resilience 2 workshop. Taking inspiration from the resilience of flowering plants and trees, the teenage participants were invited to create a floral assemblage self-portrait. They were also asked to focus on personal traits that make them resilient. Some of the traits mentioned were STRONG, UNIQUE, CONFIDENT, PRO-ACTIVE, …
(Click on this link to see workshop process and instructions.)

Here is a gallery of the group’s works. Left image is the actual floral assemblage, right image is the water-colour recreation of the assemblage portrait.

We thank the teenage participants for joining us for a fun learning experience at the Nature Sanctuary.

LEARNING FROM NATURE’S RESILIENCE 2: FLOWERS

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Paulina Constancia

Yesterday my sister and I co-taught part 2 of our Learning from Nature’s Resilience workshop series. This time we took inspiration from flowers, and worked with a younger group – teenage survivors of difficult situtations.

My sister Eddy Lee, a conservation educator and ecotherapist, led the nature walk and discussion on nature’s resilience while I facilitated the art session on the making of floral assemblage self portraits.

The group with Eddy Lee, conservation educator and ecotherapist.

I went on an early morning walk at the Sanctuary to gather the variety of flowers to be used for the art session. I was expecting a group of 17, so it was quite a challenge since this is post-typhoon times and there’s not many kinds of flowering plants left. Despite that I am proud to say that i managed to gather more than enough variety for the participants.

Since this was an exercise on resilience, the participants were not allowed to choose from the floral selection and had to make the most out of the flower assigned to them. However, they were free to choose the other natural add-ons (stones, twigs, leaves, cowrie shells,etc) to complete their assemblage piece.

It was fun watching the girls so focused on creating the assemblage then recreating it on another sheet of paper using watercolor as a medium. Later when each of them had the chance to share their process and their reflections, some said they enjoyed making the assemblage better than painting. Others said the two versions of the portrait were equally fun to create and complete.

Recreating the portraits using water-color

My thoughts on this is that the medium of flowers and other natural elements was a more relaxing medium for the teens, once they drew and painted they started becoming critical of their work (and themselves). Suddenly, i could hear some saying, ‘I’m not good at drawing!’
My reflection on this is that the closer we work with nature and what’s natural, the more we are free and spontaneous, the more we can be our true selves, and without a doubt creativity is at the core of our human nature.

The artists with their assemblage art at the Roundhouse of the Nature Sanctuary

Museum visit after the workshop to see Paulina’s FLORAL CHORUS collection and other works

The teenage participants with the workshop facilitators – Far left expressive arts educator Paulina Constancia and conservation educator and ecotherapist Eddy Lee. Photo also shows a golden retriever named GABBY, the Nature Sanctuary ambassador.

Virtue Journal and Hand Lettering Workshop

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Naïve Art Cebu

We are happy to share with you some photos and details of the latest sustainable expressive arts workshop at the MoNA, facilitated by Edna Lee of the Psychology Volunteers on Bikes.

Virtue Journal Making and Hand Lettering were the focus of the recent workshop. Below are the materials used.

Tools Needed:

Two-hole Punch
12 different beautiful printed papers such as origami and printed card stock; recycled magazine pages and wrapping paper would also be nice (to use as month dividers)
1 sheet plain or corrugated craft foam (to use as journal cover)
Different coloured markers

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STEPS:

1. Choose a colored craft foam cover (letter-size/short size)

2. Choose 12 different beautiful printed paper (like origami paper) to use as dividers for the 12 months

3. Get 26 sheets of letter-size (short) bond paper/printer paper and cut in half horizontally

4. Fold foam cover horizontally and put 4 sheets of the cut bond paper for each month and put one sheet of printed paper (48 sheets total)

5. Punch, fasten and cut edges sticking out

6. The first four pages are for hand lettering practice.
(At the workshop, the alphabet was written in script on the board and samples of different types of hand lettering were providedo for every table- —letters embellished with curls, shading, dots, strips, spaces)

8. Write your name on the inside of the front cover using a combination of hand lettering styles.

9. Write the name of the month on each of the printed paper dividers.

10. Choose one virtue/value you want to reflect on for each month. Use hand lettering to write it on each divider.
(At the workshop, the participants were asked to suggest the virtues they would like to work on. They made a list on the board, and they chose 12, one for each month).
Examples of VIRTUES: Respect, Generosity, Industry, Joy, Helpfulness, Love, Care, Simplicity, Fairness, Happiness, Obedience, Sincerity

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Here are some of the skills developed through the workshop:

1. DIY – Constructing things helped develop confidence
2. Hand Lettering– Opportunity to improve one’s handwriting and be creative
3. 12 Virtues in Focus– An Invitation to challenge oneself to improve throughout the year

With their newly handcrafted VIRTUE JOURNAL, the participants are tasked to:
Reflect on the following every week:

How did I manifest the virtue this week?
What can i do to learn this virtue?
List your behavior or manifestation of the virtue in focus

Handcrafted VIRTUE JOURNALS created at the MoNA Workshop

The participants proudly holding their handcrafted VIRTUE JOURNALS

We hope that this workshop will inspire you to make your own VIRTUE JOURNAL and aspire to better yourself this new year 2018.

Here is a set of virtues of the great Benjamin Franklin.

Image from the envole.net blog

Repurposed Tarps

Posted on January 5, 2018 by Naïve Art Cebu

Happy New Year to all of you from your friends at the Museum of Naïve Art [MoNA] in Cebu.

Recently, the MoNA, in cooperation with the Psychology Volunteers on Bikes (Psych Vols), organized a workshop for women and children in difficult situations. It was a simple activity with a very important message – what society might perceive as trash can still be repurposed and revitalized.

The project: Turning old tarpaulin banners into useful book bags and day packs (workshop concept and facilitation by Edna Lee of Psych Vols)

Image source

Three simple steps: 1)cut the tarp, 2)sew with running or blanket stitch, 3) attach strap

Pretty good for first attempt at reused/repurposed tarp bags

Check out their handmade DAY PACKS

Proudly handmade –book bags, day packs, grocery bags!

A Beary Fun Workshop

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Naïve Art Cebu

It is with great pleasure that we share with you our most recent workshop “Beary Fun”, which took place last Saturday, Nov 25th. The project concept and materials were prepared by Zed Lee of the Psychology Volunteers on Bikes (Psych Vols) while the actual workshop was facilitated by Edna Lee also of Psych Vols, and another regular MoNA volunteer Wae Seon Yun.

The workshop participants were women and children in difficult situations.

A pattern, some old jeans material and a set of instructions were provided by Zed Lee. Here are the steps:

First Step: Trace pattern on the underside of fabric.

Second Step: Sew along tracing – using running or back stitch to create the Teddy bear shape inside out. Leave about 3 inches open/unstitched to give you room to insert filling/stuffing (preferably on the side of belly or top of the bear’s head)

Third Step: Give about 1/2 inch allowance and cut around the tracing/stitching

Fourth Step: Now bring the pattern side to the outside by pulling it through the 3 inch opening.

Fifth Step: Stuff your bear and stitch up the opening (slip stitch)

Sixth Step: Embellish/dress -up your Teddy Bear with buttons, patterned fabric and laces. You may also add extra details using a sharpie or acrylic paint.

Final Step: Hug your Teddy Bear and share its story with the group.

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Here are the girls with their Teddy Bears…

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Fun groupings of the Teddies…

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Everybody gets the chance to share their stories…

You can tell from our volunteer Wae Seon’s face how much she enjoyed the BEARY FUN workshop..

Here’s a group photo of the Teddies…

Here’s a group photo of the Teddies and their creators. Photo also shows facilitators Edna Lee and Wae Seon Yun

Special thanks to Zed Lee, Wae Seon Yun and Edna Lee, the Psychology Volunteers on Bikes, West Gorordo Hotel and My Refuge House.

“You really don’t have to be young to find a friend in a teddy bear.”
-Rachel Newman

“There’s just something about a Teddy Bear that’s impossible to explain. When you hold one in your arms, you get a feeling of love, comfort and security. It’s almost supernatural.”
-James Ownby

“Teddy bears don’t need hearts as they are already stuffed with love.”
-Unknown

Quotes from I Love Teddies

Leafy Butterflies, Cheesy Pizzas

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Naïve Art Cebu

MoNA continues with its community outreach in partnership with the Psychology Volunteers on Bikes (Psych Vols). This past weekend at the Katunggan Permaculture Adventure Farm (KPAF) in Carcar, Cebu- MoNA and Psych Vols conducted “Leafy Butterflies, Cheesy Pizzas”, an expressive arts workshop with a group of women and children in difficult situations.

Sample project provided by Paulina Constancia using leaves.

Below is a slideshow of this nature printing project “The Leafy Butterfly”:

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Here are photos of the girls working on their leaf prints:

Psychology Volunteer Edna Lee facilitating nature printing workshop

Here are some of the leafy butterflies that the girls created:

A group photo of the girls with their leafy butterfly art

One more project for the group—-pizza making!!!

Cheesy- Tomatoey pizzas by design!!!

A big thank you to the Psych Vols, KPAF, My Refuge House and of course to the girls— for their eager and joyful participation in this weekend workshop.

Gimbap Fun

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Naïve Art Cebu

A couple of weeks ago, the MoNA, in cooperation with the Psychology Volunteers on Bikes, West Gorordo Hotel and My Refuge House, facilitated an intercultural workshop for a group of young girls in difficult situations. The workshop was facilitated by Wae Seon Yun, a Korean Language and Culture Mentor from Busan, South Korea.

Here are some photos from the workshop. As you can see everybody had a lovely time expressing themselves by means of the Korean language and cuisine.

Learning to speak Korean…

Here is Wae Seon teaching the girls how to prepare GIMBAP/ KIMBAP

The girls were so happy to learn to prepare GIMBAP/Kimbap with a little help from Korean facilitator Wae Seon

Assemble, roll, cut and eat…

감사합니다. Kamsahamnida.
Thank you.
Daghang Salamat, Wae Seon!!!

Post-GSK Rangoli Workshop with MRH

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Naïve Art Cebu

On Saturday, May 27th, the day after Gabii sa Kabilin, MoNA’s visiting Indian artist conducted a special rangoli workshop for a group of young participants from My Refuge House.

The girls checking out the fabulous display of rangoli from the pre-GSK community workshop facilitated by Yasha Dabas

Yasha talking about the rangoli tradition and giving instructions for the afternoon’s collaborative art making

The girls busy with their intricate rangoli designs

There were 7 rangolis created plus an extra one made by Paulina’s son who asked to join the workshop. Below are photos showing the process of creating the individual rangoli:

Rangoli # 1- “The Love of Nature”
Materials: beads, stones, flowers, leaves
Created by: Mandy and Loren

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Rangoli # 2 – “Art of Peace”
Materials: shells, flowers, beads and pebbles
Created by: Stephanie and Alexandra

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Rangoli # 3- “On The Wings of Love”
Materials: flowers, pebbles, rangoli coloured powder, beads
Created by: Jacky and Cindy

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Rangoli # 4- “Nature Garden”
Materials: beads, stones, flowers, rangoli coloured powder
Created by: Chloe and Nicole

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Rangoli # 5 – “Beauty of the Flower”
Materials: flowers, pebbles, rangoli coloured powder
Created by: Faith and Jessica

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Rangoli # 6 – The Sun and the Seashore
Materials: plastic beads, petals, shells, pebbles, stones, rangoli coloured powder
Created by: Kim and Gaga

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Rangoli # 7- “The Beauty of Life”
Materials: flowers, beads, shells, pebbles, rangoli coloured powder
Created by: Shane and Ashley

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Rangoli # 8- “The Flower on the Beads”
Materials: cowrie shells, leaves, pebbles, rangoli coloured powder
Created by: Paulina’s son -Lucas, 7 years old

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Show and Tell. The girls said that when they saw the display from the workshop yesterday they wondered if they could possibly make something so beautiful. And they did! Their works were just beautiful!

Love and gratitude to MoNA’s visiting artist YASHA DABAS for sharing her time and talents with the girls. ..the time together was memorable and the work- -simply amazing!

23 Rangolis in 1 Room! The mini rangolis of the MRH girls displayed alongside the bigger rangoli art created from the previous day’s community workshop, also facilitated by MoNA visiting artist Yasha Dabas

Read about the facilitator YASHA DABAS
Read about the program at My Refuge House

ABS-CBN Kapamilya Features the MoNA

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Naïve Art Cebu

Maayong Buntag Kapamilya Segment Producer Nichee Orocio recently interviewed Paulina Constancia for a special feature on the ABS-CBN morning program. The segment was televised on Friday, February 24th.

Kapamilya Segment Producer Nichee interviews Paulina at the MoNA

Nichee interviews Paulina about MoNA’s expressive arts workshop conducted for marginalized women and children.

There was special interest in MoNA’s on-going exhibition “Spontaneous Strokes” which was an output of an expressive arts workshop facilitated by artist Paulina Constancia for young survivors of violence and human trafficking.

Producer and cameraman pose with the birds at MoNA

Maayong Buntag Kapamilya aired the MONA feature on Friday, February 24th.
Click on this link to watch episode on ABS-CBN

Expressive Fingerprinting with MRH

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Naïve Art Cebu

It was a lovely afternoon of art making at the MoNA with My Refuge House girls. Resident artist Paulina Constancia showed the girls how they can make art just using their fingers.

First, they were made to explore emotions through fingerprinting…

Then there were more exercises in creating fingerprinting design, but the main output of the session was the creation of a peacock using fingerprints..

Check out the MRH girls’ masterpieces – simply amazing!

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Thank you girls for inspiring us at the MoNA with your rainbow renditions of the majestic peacock.

We had a special guest dropping by during the workshop – retired Professor Thelma Lee- Mendoza, She was formerly professor and chairperson of social work in the College of Social Work and Community Development of the University of the Philippines, from which she retired in 1999 after 37 years of service. One of the girls who’s a Social Work student happened to recognize her–“you are the author of my textbook!”
FYI- Thelma Lee-Mendoza is Paulina Constancia’s auntie.

Spontaneous Strokes exhibition now open

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Naïve Art Cebu

MONA is happy to announce a new exhibition -SPONTANEOUS STROKES- on display at the lobby of West Gorordo Hotel starting January 10th. Scroll down for more information about this special display.

Spontaneous Strokes
January 10- March 31, 2017
West Gorordo Hotel Lobby
Cebu, Philippines

Art created by 13 young girls rescued from difficult situations
Expressive Arts Workshop Facilitated by Paulina Constancia

This exhibition is made possible by the Paulina Constancia Museum of Naive Art [MoNA], West Gorordo Hotel, the Psychology Volunteers on Bikes and My Refuge House (MRH)

About the Collection

The works on display here are outputs from a recent expressive arts workshop facilitated by Paulina Constancia for 13 girls who have been rescued from difficult situations. The girls were tasked to make random brush strokes on paper using watercolor. At first, they were confused with what they were doing and where their art was going. However, when they were done painting in the colors and were asked to look at their work from different angles, they were able to figure out the hidden message amid the layers of colors. The girls were quite surprised how a simple activity afforded them a window to their inner world.

The Crusade for the Rights of Women and Children

West Gorordo Hotel (WGH), through the Museum of Naïve Art [MoNA] Outreach Program, is a shining example of how a private institution can crusade for the rights of women and children.

MONA partners with the Psychology Volunteers on Bikes to facilitate expressive and experiential therapy for different women’s rights groups and their community partners.

Art is a constant agent of transformation and is indeed the soul’s drive to health.
– Cathy Malchiodi
The Soul’s Palette: Drawing on Art’s Transformative Powers for Health and Well-Being”

Spontaneous Strokes Workshop with MRH

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Naïve Art Cebu

Monday, December 19th, Paulina Constancia conducted an expressive arts workshop for 13 young girls from My Refuge House. The participants were asked to do some spontaneous strokes using watercolor on paper without any specific images/details in mind, just to give the subconscious the opportunity to speak up and let itself be known. Afterwhich, participants were made to look at their painting from different angles and try to figure out what it’s about and what it means to them.

Poster-invite for Spontaneous Strokes workshop

Here are the girls working on their Spontaneous Strokes:
mrh-comics-effect-group
Here is a sample output of the workshop.

Spontaneous strokes by Mandy, 22

Title : Wild Life of Elephant

Artist’s Name : Mandy

Age : 22

A Little About My Work

I drew this painting because of my experience before and after MRH. I felt tense while I was drawing this painting because I remembered my struggle, and how I have accomplished things that make me proud of myself. I’m getting nearer to the future.

Mandy, 22 sees an elephant in her painting

The output of the Spontaneous Strokes workshop will be on display at the lobby of West Gorordo Hotel. Exhibition details will be posted very soon…

Project Baby Pink Turn-over

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Naïve Art Cebu

Sept 10th at the MoNA.

Paulina Constancia had the pleasure of turning over the Project Baby Pink collection to My Refuge House (MRH). Present at the simple turn-over ceremony were Rose Anne Obenque of MRH, American Psychologist Dr. Yvonne and husband Wig.

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The Project Baby Pink collection is seen here turned over to Rose Anne Obenque of My Refuge House and American Psychologist Dr. Yvonne.

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Paulina showing some of the PBP collection and title cards to Dr. Yvonne.

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“Very powerful images from a psychological perspective”, says Dr. Yvonne.

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Here’s a photo of the Project Baby Pink collection while on display at the lobby of West Gorordo Hotel.

Learn more about Project Baby Pink (PBP), watch this video

Learn more about My Refuge House

Paulina Constancia on CCTN

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Naïve Art Cebu

Yesterday, Paulina Constancia had the honor of being a guest on TV. The show is called “Sa Mata sa Kababayen-an” (In the Eyes of Women) on CCTN- Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN)
Program Host: Atty. Virginia Palanca-Santiago, President of Law Center Inc.
Co-Anchor: Fe Cabatingan
Photos courtesy of Charity Escoton (Production Assistant- Media Advocacy, Law Center Inc)

The program provides psychosocial and legal advice to women in adverse circumstances like domestic violence, human trafficking, marital discord, separation, child custody… Paulina Constancia was interviewed in connection with the Paulina Constancia Museum of Naive Art [MoNA] and its efforts in providing expressive arts programs for women and children in different circumstances including those who are survivors of violence and human trafficking.

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The interview begins…

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Nice monitoring, Charity Escoton!

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PC talks about The CURVE Project and other MoNA outreach projects

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It was a live show and there were viewers calling in…

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Photo op after the show

Photo op after the show: (L-R) Dolores “Lolet” Alino, Exec Director, Law Center,Inc., Fe Cabatingan co-anchor and Head Psychosocial Unit, Law Inc, PC, Atty. Virginia Palanca- Santiago, President, Law Center, Inc. and Charity Escoton (Production Assistant- Media Advocacy, Law Center Inc)

The full length interview will be available on youtube very soon…

PAULINA CONSTANCIA MoNA

MUSEUM OF NAÏVE ART

Category Archives: art of women and children in difficult situations

The Floral Bouquet Self-Portraits

LEARNING FROM NATURE’S RESILIENCE 4: FLOWERS & FRUITS

The Floral Assemblage Self Portraits

LEARNING FROM NATURE’S RESILIENCE 2: FLOWERS

Virtue Journal and Hand Lettering Workshop

Repurposed Tarps

A Beary Fun Workshop

Leafy Butterflies, Cheesy Pizzas

Gimbap Fun

Post-GSK Rangoli Workshop with MRH

ABS-CBN Kapamilya Features the MoNA

Expressive Fingerprinting with MRH

Spontaneous Strokes exhibition now open

Spontaneous Strokes Workshop with MRH

Project Baby Pink Turn-over

Paulina Constancia on CCTN