“IN hula, the dancers became one with everything in nature. They bent, swayed and gestured, moving in countless ways to tell countless stories, most of which had deep meanings. Behind these graceful, expressive, sometimes dignified and sometimes earthy dances, lay years of study, meditation and prayer.” —Nona Beamer
Much like the hula dancer swaying her hips as she moves, the fish on the canvas of Ronald Cortez’s paintings appear to swim and to glide. Even the tomatoes appear so ripe that you want to pluck and slice it. The salted egg has that characteristic yolk — with a hint of oil on it — and whiteness. The peso is realistically portrayed. “It is about remembering the Php 10 and Php 20, no longer in circulation, for this, I am remembering something from the past – ano ang pinagmulan mo (what are your roots)?,” Ronald said.
Ysabel Grace Simon, a 17-year-old high school student at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, shared her feelings of being back in the Philippines.
“We took trips to Baguio, and I remember the orange sky, and with fishes. The faded look at the edges of the painting and the use of natural light. I was just 7 years old when I left the Philippines,” she said.
If the painting, Tinapa 2, reminded Ysabel of her Philippines as a 7 year old, then it worked.
It seemed so real that it reminded me of the masterful works of Fernando Amorsolo, Ben Cabrera and Thomas Kinkade.
I once had the privilege to talk with Ben at two sites: one at AndrewShire Gallery on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles, and another at his Ben Cab Museum in Baguio, Philippines. I first heard of Ben, the National Artist of the Philippines who has been painting for five decades now, from a bookseller. She described how in the morning she woke up with views of the sea and the mountains from her guest bedroom. A walk outside led her to an organic garden and a fish pond, the museum with various exhibits of contemporary artists, a café and a museum shop.
I posed questions to Ben, but his one vivid answer was distilled into its essence: “Learn how to draw and draw well before you paint,” he said.
I looked at paintings now, with a discerning eye, distinguishing the amateurs from the masters.
I met Ronald Cortez on the eve of Halloween this year while visiting the Philippine Consulate on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Courtesy of a friend’s iPhone, I viewed Ronald’s paintings and had an immediate gut reaction: “Oh my, your paintings belong in the category of Fernando Amorsolo and National Artist Ben Cabrera.”
It was an exclamation, for sure. But the truth was confirmed by a photographer with an eye for details, who said, “Look at that painting, do you see how the fish is swimming? Yes, he is in the league of Amorsolo.”
Fernando Amorsolo was a celebrated painter of portraits and rural landscapes, well-known for his mastery in the use of light, much like America’s Thomas Kinkade, the Painter of Light.
Self-taught painter
Raised by a single mother, Nanie Ratio Cortez (a dressmaker who is now 79 years old), Ronald lost his father to an aneurysm when he was two months old.
“Walang laruan, pag may pencil ako, masaya na ako. (No toys, but with a pencil, I was happy).”
He learned not to ask for toys, as money was just enough for rent, food, and school fees.
“My mom’s paper bags ang una kong naging sketch pad at that time. Natutuwa ang mga customers ng nanay ko. Malikot ako, bibigyan ako ng lapis, mabait na ako. (My mother’s paper bags became my sketch pad. Her customers were pleased. Restless, I would be given a pencil. I would behave).”
He grew up in Lucban, Quezon. “Baon ko ang bundok. Nasa imahinasyon ko. (I stored mountains in my imagination).”
He went to school in Taytay, Rizal, near his mother’s dress shop. By fourth grade, his care was entrusted to his aunt, while his mother worked in Saudi Arabia.
From 4th to 6th grade, he drew portraits, fascinated by facial features. First, he drew the eyes, then, nose, and mouth. “Unlike what they teach us in school,” Ysabel noted.
Ronald lingered in malls, where he watched others do charcoal drawings. He then saved his allowance and bought his supplies. Friends spurred on his art by asking him to paint their crushes, and got more charcoal, as an in-kind payment.
In high school, a cousin asked him to paint a portrait of his girlfriend, and in return, Ronald got a set of oil paints. It was at this point that he decided he wanted to be a painter.
He went to Southern Luzon Polytechnic College for arts and sciences, without a declared major. But, his mother encouraged him to be a seaman, following the example of a cousin, Marcelo Raneses, who is a boat captain. So, he took seaman classes.
Craving art and the Parable of Talents
While studying in Manila, Ronald craved for art, and satisfied his hunger by browsing books at the National Bookstore on Avenida Rizal. There, he met Loreto Racuya, another artist, who introduced him to the owner of an art supply store.
Loreto also told him that he has potential and needed to focus on his art. He shared his insights on the Parables of Talents, “Ipagpapalit mo ba ang 4 na taon sa pag-aaral, habang buhay kang hindi masaya? (Will you exchange 4 years of going to school and a lifetime of unhappiness?)”
The Parable of Talents taught him first, that his artistic talents must be used to glorify God and to be shared with mankind. Second, he would be given what he needs to further his talents, and realized that his friends supplied his art materials to improve his skills. Third, we are all endowed with different talents, some with one talent, others five. He became concerned that he might lose his ability to paint if he did not focus on painting. Fourth, that we work for the Master who gave us the talent. Fifth, that we will be held accountable for our work.
Developing realism in his paintings
With spiritual direction – “Let the bees, the trees, and the birds teach you to paint” – he painted nature. Every year, he set a goal to learn new materials and new techniques. He learned how to paint with pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, oil pastels, oil and mixed media.
That experimental period continues to today, “Even today, I am learning as I paint, kasi pag sinabi mong hinog ka na, ang susunod doon, bulok ka na. (Because when I say I am ripe, the next stage is decay).”
So when fine arts majors say, “Why realism, that is obsolete now, why not switch to abstract?” He responds, “if that is the case, folks are also obsolete now and they would be abstractions.”
In painting, he paints by series.
Just like the rice painting, he had three to four series. It allowed him to change canvasses, to focus on another view. “I can’t afford to rest, lalong tatagal, kaya lilipat ako sa kabila. (It prolongs the process, so I just move to another canvas).”
“I respect the time given by God, I respect that. I also consider the viewer and balance the composition. Nature is truly beautiful – I want to give justice to nature, that is what I want to achieve,” he said.
Much like the hula dancer who pays homage to the Divine Master and Nature, Ronald Cortez does the same in his paintings, dignifying Nature and God, daily through his artistic expressions.
Master Painter Ronald Cortez has been painting for 18 years now. He lives in New York with his wife Maribel and their 13-year-old son Ronel.
Footnote: This writer thanks Kathy Ursolino and Hydee Ursolino – Abrahan for facilitating the interview at such short notice. Also, my appreciation to Ysabel Grace Simon who accompanied me during this interview and shared her insights about this master painter.
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Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for Asian Journal Press for 9 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in the field of science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium and Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.