Justino Magalona

Artist Bio

Home / Artists / Justino Magalona / Bio

Profile

Portfolio

Slideshow

Bio

Contact

Website

Artist Bio

The Canadian Champion interview by Stephanie Thiessen Aug 26, 2005

Artist Strives to Capture Human Emotion in Drawings

To this day, the little boy at the refugee processing centre in the Philippines remains fresh in Justino Magalona Jr.'s mind. There the youngster crouched, drawing on the ground with a piece of chalk. Unaware of Mr. Magalona -- a fellow artist -- observing him, the little boy worked diligently.

"He was drawing a war scene -- tanks, blowing up, helicopters," said Mr. Magalona, remembering. "And then, before he was done, he drew a large heart in the middle of everything. It was very symbolic. The heart in the middle of all the war."

Mr. Magalona knew he had to record that scene. Today on the Milton artist's wall hangs a painting of the little boy and his drawing, done from a few quickly snapped photos and an image burned into Mr. Magalona's mind.

This capturing of human emotion is something Mr. Magalona strives for in each of his drawings, regardless of if it's a historical building such as Milton's Town Hall, or a portrait of an elderly person in his hometown in the Philippines.

"I'm happy while I'm doing this. It's not an obligation. I just let myself go, letting emotions into the artwork," he explained.

Mr. Magalona is one of 46 artists who'll be sharing their art in the 2005 Studio Tour and Sale being put on by the Fine Arts Society of Milton (FASM) October 1 and 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This free, self-guided tour will offer a peek into 33 studios of local artisans.

Mr. Magalona will be stop 28, and will be showing his work at a Fifth Line home in Rockwood. A kind couple offered him the use of their home as his studio for the tour, he said.

This'll be Mr. Magalona's first time participating in the tour, something he said he's very excited -- but also a bit nervous -- about.

His recent involvement with FASM and this show has given him the motivation to get back into the world of painting after an almost 10-year hiatus, which had dampened his confidence, he said.

Mr. Magalona was born in the Philippines, where he lived most of his life. He then moved to Saudi Arabia, where he lived and worked as a graphic designer for eight years. Each of his three children was born there. Four years ago the young family immigrated to Canada, settling first in Mississauga and then, two years ago, in Milton's Hawthorne Village.

"From the rain forest to the desert to here," Mr. Magalona said, chuckling.

When he first visited Milton, Mr. Magalona said it reminded him of his hometown, and he joined FASM, receiving the encouragement he needed to start painting again. About half his pieces are drawings done with a regular ballpoint pen -- although you'd never know to look at them. The other pieces are more accurately described as a cross between drawing and painting.

Utilizing a technique Mr. Magalona devised himself, he creates drawing-like works with acrylic paint. The simple, yet clever technique is achieved by puncturing a tube of acrylic paint with what looks like a ballpoint pen refill. The paint flows through the ballpoint tip, allowing him to, in essence, draw with paint, giving him more colours to work with than he'd have sticking with ink.

This is just one of the ways Mr. Magalona said he makes his art work for him, not the other way around. With a hectic life that includes caring for his three kids during the day while his wife works, and working nights as a graphic designer, Mr. Magalona said he doesn't have the luxury of locking himself in a studio for hours.

Since his 'paint pens' are portable, he said he carries his current project wherever he goes and works on it whenever he gets a spare minute. Often, he said, that means he's working in the car while he's waiting in the parking lot for his kids to finish their tae kwon do lessons.

"It's the modern way to make art fit your lifestyle rather than your lifestyle fit to the art," he said.

There are a few reasons he uses acrylic paint, Mr. Magalona said. First, there are no strong fumes to aggravate his kids' allergies. Also, it dries fast so it's no big deal when little hands have the urge to touch daddy's paintings. There's also no preparation with this technique.

"If I did the usual painting method, it would take time (to prepare). I don't have time," he said.

Mr. Magalona said he enjoys painting detailed pictures of children and the elderly.

"I like old people. There's so much experience and wisdom in them," he said, adding he likes showing the lines in faces, since they represent experiences weathered. "At the same time, I like (portraying) children because they're innocent."

He also enjoys drawing buildings, which he said isn't that different. People and buildings both evoke and contain emotions. Wrinkles on faces tell stories just as crevices in buildings do. They both hold stories waiting to be told, he said.

"There's a relationship between people, history and public buildings."

Mr. Magalona said it's not to himself he gives credit for his talent. "I thank God," he said, "that I have this gift and that it came back."

For more information on the studio tour, call (905) 876-2837. Maps with artists' studios can be obtained around town or by visiting www.fasm.ca

News Link: http://www.haltonsearch.com/hr/ae/story/2998731p-3475959c.html

Artist Highlights