12 Year Old Angelicum College HSP Student
Launches First Solo Painting Exhibit

Maia Angela C. San Diego, a 12 year old YS 8 student of the Angelicum College Home Study Program, opened her first solo painting exhibit titled “Larong Bata” last August 16, 2008 at Likha Diwa sa Gulod Café, C. P. Garcia Avenue, UP Diliman.

The exhibit runs until September 16 and features 25 acrylic on canvas paintings of still life, landscapes, pop art and abstracts.

Maia has been playing with colors since she was a toddler. She began with crayons, watercolors and oil pastel. Her parents noticed that she preferred to use watercolors practically undiluted from the tube so they gave her gouache and acrylic paint. She gravitated toward acrylics and at age eight was making acrylic paintings on canvas without any formal instruction. Her colors have always been very vivid.

Maia began attending Mr. Fernando B. Sena’s painting workshops at nine and has gone through four levels since then. The workshops have guided her in honing her craft.

Maia has also been reading up on the masters through books at home and the internet. She has an affinity with Van Gogh’s textural style but loves the colors of Matisse. She continues to experiment with various styles in her journey toward finding her own identity as an artist.

Being in the Home Study Program, Maia has ample time for her workshops and for painting at home while staying ahead in her academics.

This first solo painting exhibit is intended as a celebration of Maia’s 12th birthday which was last July 28.

This early, Maia already sees art as her life’s work, planning on further studies not only in painting but in graphic arts and multimedia arts as well. It is a great source of pleasure for her, making it all seem like child’s play.