Marketman & Family were at the Salcedo Art Fair last Saturday, which also coincided with the Salcedo Market’s Third Anniversary celebration. The Art Fair benefits the Museum Foundation of the Philippines 
and there always seems to be an interesting selection of modestly priced art. We have our favorite exhibitors at this Fair (only on its third time out) with the black and white photographs of Isa Lorenzo and The Silver Lens Gallery being a family favorite but we also come across other interesting artists and purveyors of original art. Last Saturday, I was on the lookout for something totally unusual, painted coconut shells. A reader of this blog who resides in the beautiful hills just outside Puerto Galera in Mindoro recently sent me an email to say she would be exhibiting their unique painted coconut shells at the Saturday Art Fair and I must admit, I was intrigued by the idea…
Bernadette and Michael are the folks behind Nut-ART and they had several dozen original paintings done inside dried coconut shells or ba-o. Many of their subjects are sea creatures, shells, scenes, etc. They had a series on starfish, fish, shells, etc. that 
were really very interesting. Each piece is hand painted and crafted and numbered and recorded! I gather Bernadette was once a children’s book illustrator and her pieces are lively, colorful, vibrant and definitely unique! Using the ba-o rather than a canvas or wood is clever and these would certainly make a neat remembrance of a trip to Puerto Galera! The Kid picked out this turtle swimming in the blue sea (note the smile on its face). Prices ranged from PHP800 to PHP2,000, depending on the size and complexity of the work. If you are interested, please contact the artists Bernadette & Michael at MBW.VPH@gmail.com or 63-43-442-1778. I understand you can even have your own coconut shell commissioned by them!
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Coconut truly is a tree of life! Nothing is wasted – now after extracting the meat for budbud kabog and biko . . . – the shell can be used as a medium for a great art masterpiece. What a revelation! More power to Bernadette and Michael at MBW and thanks much MM for supporting and featuring our local artists may their breed grow well!
Oooh, thanks for the info, MM. Bernadette was my classmate in college and a good friend and I’ve been wondering how to get in touch with her. And I’m kicking myself because I was at the Salcedo Market last Saturday and was two feet away from the art stalls but was too engrossed in the shopping and the eating to realize what I had missed.
Thank you so very much for this wonderful “exposure”, Marketman! Just to add that we can really be contacted via (043) 442-1777. The (043) 442 1778 is on automatic fax… And the shells come with stands and a pandan bag (Michael would like to add :-)). Hello, Carol :-)…!!
choosing the pawikan painting as the Nut Art piece was terrific! posting it on this blog is fantastic! glad you took the time to see the Nut Art section of the INK booth and take a picture. i was there at the fair and seeing art on coconut shells was truly amazing. i had to keep out of the way to let others take their first look at the pieces.
I wonder if these Nut-Art pieces are purely decorative (they come with stands) or can be functional. I guess the latter depends on what medium was used (oil, watercolor, acrylic?) and if they’re varnished or coated with a protective acrylic. I’d love to have them as candy bowls – maybe for ChocNut!
I did see those nut bowls and I beleive they received quite an amount of attention at the art fair.I do hope they exhibit again so I can pick up a few! If not, I will try to reach them at the above numbers. Art in the park is such a wonderful idea, I wish they would do it twice a year but I realize it must take a incredible amount of work. Incidentally, I thought I would mention that there is an abundance of great art to be found from the members of INK, Illustrador ng Kabataan, who showed at the same booth last Saturday. I have become a huge fan of many of their members like Pepper Roxas, Abi Goy, Beth Parochha and Brian Vallesteros to name a few. MM, you and your readers should check out their other exhibits as well.
Congratulations to the organizers once again for a wonderful Saturday morning!
socky, they use acrylic but with no lacquer if I am not mistaken. I wouldn’t put anything in them except soft stuff at the risk to chipping the paint. Alicia, I understand they sold a lot of them and really, some of the paintings were fantastic!
Very beautiful piece of art…i like it a lot.
Thank you for featuring Bernie’s work. Like Carol, I’m a college classmate of Bernie too. I’ve been wanting to get in touch with her too and I hope you don’t mind that I send her a personal note.
Hey, Bernie! It’s been way too long and I don’t know what you even look like now. Has living by the sea made you a sirena by now? Please let me know when you’re in Manila so we can at least have a cup of coffee.
Hi, Fides! No, I’m still not a sirena :-)…I live up the mountains. More like a diwata (he-he!). Yes, hope to see you too!
By the way, NutArt has a new blogsite: NutArt@blogspot.com
Check it out! Thanks!
sorry, wrote it wrongly—www.nutart.blogspot.com