A Touch of Drama with Nature on a Wall Mural

A Touch of Drama with Nature

on a Wall Mural

"Nature is the art of God." - Dante Alighieri

Mural Paintings by Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature Center

San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

A country lass, Kate, hugs a tree on the wall painted by the author

in his residence in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.

"Come to the woods," this mural seems to say,

     and find rest in its living shroud,

 bastion of love, freedom and harmony,

     away from the maddening crowd.

. "A hug is two hearts wrapped in arms." – Unknown.

* Hugging a tree involves wrapping your arms around its trunk, often to connect with nature and experience its calming presence. This practice can have various benefits, including reducing stress, boosting the immune system, and releasing emotional blockages. It's also a form of mindfulness, encouraging introspection and a sense of belonging. - AI Overview

Catching butterflies* on a wall mural seems easy to these boys. 

I was once like these two kids many, many years ago,

     on the farm where I was born and grew;

'til this butterfly flew over my head and formed a halo,

     and took me to the academe to be its fellow.**

“If you smile when you see a butterfly, you have happiness in your soul.”

- Diana Cooper

*Pieris rapae is a small- to medium-sized butterfly species of the whites-and-yellows family Pieridae. It is known as the cabbage white or cabbage butterfly or white butterfly. 

** Professor of Entomology, the science about insects.

 

What a refreshing feeling by the waterfall after a hard day in school!

Go, refresh with the coolness of a waterfall;

listen, listen to its sweet whisper from above;

you might wonder where its water is coming from,

but from its heart, like yours, throbbing with love.

"All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was."

- Toni Morrison 

             Be like Rip Van Winkle for a time, but not for twenty long years

 - not for a lifetime, please.

Time goes on and things keep changing, 

you just can't live in dream and trance;

the world doesn't wait for just anything.

Wake up, you pass this way but once.

"You cannot defeat darkness by running from it, nor can you conquer your inner demons by hiding them from the world." - Washington Irving, Rip Van Winkle

Dawn of awakening before a make-believe view.  

What lies beyond the horizon, this child seems to wonder,

facing a wall mural of the sea and its mystery yonder.

“Nature is loved by what is best in us.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

Philosophy through the Arts: Goya's Paradox of Human Life

 Philosophy through the Arts

                             Goya's Paradox of Human Life

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Living with Nature School on Blog

Goya's painting of two men clubbing each other while

being swallowed by quagmire to their inevitable death.

If there is Plato's Allegory of the Cave - a man escapes and sees the truth and that it is his obligation to lead others to get out of the cave of ignorance;

If there is Thoreau's Walden Pond that man's isolation from society is realization of his inseparability, however principled he may be;

If there is Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo that tells at the end the emptiness of the soul, triumphant one may have revenged on his enemies;

If there is Burnett's Secret Garden that has long been forgotten and that having the courage to open it is discovering the joys of the past and starting a new life.

If there is Picasso's Guernica mural, symbolic of peace triumphant over war, coded secretly to carry on the message in novels, sculpture, movies, photographs, etc., to this day;

If there is Rizal's Noli and Fili denouncing abuses of colonial masters, demanding reform and equitable governance, and inevitably igniting the flame of revolution as the ultimate recourse;

If there is Goya's Two Men Fighting in a Quicksand, exuding strong and direct message to warring nations, that no one wins at the end, mankind ultimately the loser;

It is art - the brush and the pen - that has really changed the world - and is still changing it. ~

Francisco Goya (1746-1828), Spanish painter, is considered "the Father of Modern Art." His career began at the close of the late Baroque period, and the rise of Gothic art, extending over a period of more than 60 years, for he continued to draw and paint until his 82nd year.

To understand Goya's paintings, it is equally important to know the life of painter. Three stages marked his long active life.

• His attitude towards life in his youth, when he accepted the world as it was quite happily,
• His manhood when he began to criticize it, and
• His old age when he became embittered and disillusioned with people and society.

The world had changed radically during his lifetime. He saw the society in which he achieved great success dissolved during the Napoleonic war, so that he turned to new ideals, as reflected in this painting of two men clubbing each other while being swallowed by quicksand.

---------------

* Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio, 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Usapang Bayan April 25, 2025: The Holy Father Plants a Tree

In loving memory of Pope Francis

The Holy Father Plants a Tree

In observance of International Mother Earth Day (April 22, 2025); International Day of the Forest (March 21);  Day of Biodiversity (May 22), Environment Day (June 6), Philippine Eagle (June 4 to 10).Philippine National Arbor Day (June 25, 2024), 

 

Ms Melly C Tenorio, host; Dr Abe V Rotor, Guest

Usapang Bayan 2 - 3 pm, April 26, 2025

1. When spring comes without stir, “don't go gentle into the night,” rise and find out where have all the birds gone to herald the new season, the new beginning of life.

2. When the monsoon ends too soon, summer sets early, the land scorched, the rivers and ponds dried up, warn of the coming of a severe El Niño phenomenon.

3. When algal bloom in make-believe proportion spreads in lakes, sound the alarm of fish kill coming to avert losses and hunger, and save the ecosystem.

4. When people move to cities in exodus, convince them, advise government, it is a tender trap that takes them away from the real Good Life on the countryside.

 

 

 

 

  Students from the University of Northern Philippines, Philippine Science High School (IS) and San Vicente Integrated School plant anahaw seedlings (Livistona rotundifolia) and seeds of fruit trees at the Living with Nature Center, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, April 13, 2025.  

5. When clouds simply pass over the landscape, take the lead to reforest the hills and mountains, restore the watershed with a million and one trees.

6. When flood sweeps the land taking with it lives and properties, and eroding soil fertility, be part of rehabilitation and planning; believe that flood can be tamed.

7. When you find an abundance of lichens of different types on trees and rocks, assure residents of the pristine condition of their environment, and help them to preserve it.

8. When and where wildlife areas are shrinking, backyards and idle lots can be developed as alternative wildlife sanctuary, initiate this as a community project.

9. When asked what vegetables are safe from pesticide residues and chemicals from fertilizers, promote native species like malunggay, kamote tops, gabi, saluyot, and the like, they are also more nutritious and easy to grow.

10. When asked of Nature's way of maintaining the ecosystem, explain the role of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, composting, symbiosis, among other natural processes and cycles.

11. When additives are found in food - MSG, Nutrasweet or any artificial sugar, salitre in sausage, sulfite in white sugar, melamine* in milk, formalin in fish, warn the public against taking these, initiate through legislation and campaign to ban these additives.

"Convergence of sea, land and sky - Nature's way of keeping the balance of the  ecosystem," wall mural by the author.

12. When children spend too much time before the TV, on computers, and other gadgets, offer alternatives more favorable to their upbringing and well-being by getting close to nature like camping, gardening and other outdoor activities.

13. When old folks talk about traditional wisdom and values, demonstrate native skills, listen and translate them into useful applications, disseminate these in school and through extension.

14. When animals are restless, reptiles and rodents coming out of their burrows and dens, fish attempting to escape, fowls noisy, suspect the coming of a force majeure such as earthquake, and be alert to face possible consequences.

                Tree hugging is therapeutic, 

it releases stress, restores energy.

15. When epidemic threatens an area, say bird flu, initiate community cooperation with health and other institutions to prevent further spread of the disease.

16. When a child has little concern about the environment, teach him, guide him to explore the beautiful world of nature, and make him realize his importance and his role.

17. When there is a worthy movement to save the environment, such as Clean and Green, Piso sa Pasig, or any local campaign, lead and extend your full support.

18. When there are farms and fishponds neglected or abandoned, find out how these are put back to their productive conditions, or converted into a wildlife sanctuary.

19. When at rest or in confinement for health reason, explore natural remedies with plants, pet therapy, and other proven remedies

  

"On a fine Sunday morning you hear birds in the trees, fish splashing in a pond, and plants bloom..." in acrylic by the author

20. When on a fine Sunday morning you hear birds in the trees, fish splashing in a pond, and plants bloom, say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving in music and poetry, painting, or simply a reflection of the magnificence o f creation. ~

* Melamine is a chemical compound that is illegally added to food, particularly dairy products, to artificially inflate protein content. It is a high-nitrogen compound that fools standard protein tests, which measure nitrogen content, into falsely indicating higher protein levels. This practice is not approved by any health authorities and can be harmful, causing kidney stones and other health problems, especially in infants and young children.

International Mother Earth Day April 22, 2025: Recreate Nature on the Wall in Murals

International Mother Earth Day

Recreating Nature in Murals on the Wall

Mural Paintings by Dr Abe V Rotor

Under the Sea Cavern. Simulating stalactites and stalagmites in caves, the artist simulated the same conditions on some coral reef ledges where the sun could hardly penetrate. Mystery lies inside the cavern which only the imagination can fathom. A predator waits for its prey, small fishes group together for safety, shell fish cling lazily on rocks, while seaweeds sway freely like a curtain. It is a stage of sort where drama of life in the deep takes place everyday. (Wall mural, SPUQC, AVR).

I have wondered many times if fish ever sleep

     or they just lie down very still

in some quiet deep, like a flock of sheep

     after their fill lie on a grassy hill.

Other creatures gain this way their ease

     and man by the power of his will

takes the long and winding road to peace

     searching for that quiet pool or hill.

Tropical Rainforest. A composite painting of a running stream through the woods, apparently near human habitation as shown by the presence of promenaders and fishing enthusiasts enjoying themselves as in a park. Also, the stream empties into a pond of Nymphaea and lotus on the foreground giving the impression that the scene is at the edge of a clearing. Nonetheless the whole scene speaks of an undisturbed ecosystem. The presence of wildlife shows that this is their natural habitat. SPUQC, AVR

Gather the clouds into fog and mist,

     rain and stream;

Gather the fish, the birds and the beasts

     to a peaceful reign.

Light in the Woods. Are there images on the painting? How many trees are there. Can you see a face? Whose face is it? The inverted "V" perspective creates a panoramic effect leading the eye toward the center and background. SPUQC AVR

It inspired a soul to write a book*

that touches the eye and heart;

This little light in a nook shines

where good and evil part.

                                           * Light the the Woods, by AVR, Megabooks 1995

Ruins of Colonialism. Keenness in history leads the hand to re-create events in composite order. The sky and landscape blend well and create a peaceful ambiance in contrast with that of the ruins on the foreground. Infinity can be felt towards the background where boundaries of land and sky dissolve in mist and cloud. SPUQC AVR

Ruins, your silence disturbs at this time of tempest,

When dawn breaks like any dawn sans rays of noble past;

The day shall come to put people again to the test,

Like spring, rise again from their state of outcast.

Composite Landscape. There are three scenic parts arranged vertically to suit the design of the sala of a private residence. Upon entering one is led to look up and down the painting. Thus the elongated design has a foreshortening effect. There was originally a rainbow, but it was toned down so as not to steal the show, so to speak. It's suggestiveness however, has a strong effect from the balcony eye level. (Dasmariñas Village, Makati MM)

Where man makes a living, a garden by his hands he makes,

At the foot of a hill, on the tip of a pen, on rivers and lakes,

He contends - even only a piece of that Paradise lost -, he regains;

From knowledge and disobedience, the whole world gains.

Doves Flying at Dawn. There is a feeling of ascendancy in this painting. The diagonal perspective enhances such movement, while splashes of light heightens daybreak. The rough sea and dark foreground give contrast to the painting. The hideous presence of large reptiles creates enigma as to what the artist wanted to imply. Mystery in art is an important element. (Wall Mural SPU-QC)

Take me from this world a moment

to be with You in this holy event;

From your seat to down below I see

my friends, my enemies - and me.

Watershed. Unlike the first painting the perspective is normal "V" which explains the title - a funnel shaped valley to catch and store rainfall and in the process make a natural garden with the colors of spring, summer and autumn, thus exuding a fairyland effect. The landscape speaks clearly of a pristine environment far and free from humans. (Wall mural SPU-QC)

Ask Ceres or the mightiest God of all -

if Nature keeps herself better if we depart, 

with her housekeeping and her art -

was Paradise redeemed after the Fall? ~

* International Mother Earth Day was established in 2009, by the United Nations General Assembly under Resolution A/RES/63/278. The Resolution was introduced by Bolivia and endorsed by over 50 member states. Theme for April 22, 2025 - Our Power; Our Planet

April is National Poetry Month: Theme: "Poetry as a Bridge for Peace and Inclusion"

 National Poetry Day and Month April 20, 2025

"Poetry as a Bridge for Peace and Inclusion"

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog [avrotor.blogspot.com]

In 2025, April 20th is a Sunday, and that is the start of National Poetry Month. National Poetry Month is a celebration of poetry, encouraging reading, writing, and sharing of poetic works. While National Poetry Day is usually celebrated on the first Thursday of October, National Poetry Month occurs throughout the month of April.

1. Meditation in the Air *

“Down below I see my friends, my neighbors, and me.”

A wisp of smoke greets the lazy morning air from among the trees 

that line a creek appearing like a miniature forest. Summertime, 2013. 

Take me for a moment away from you, Mother Earth,

higher than the highest mountain, the tallest building,

that I may view life whole and solid and unabridged

in a perspective beyond details, and without stirring:

I see clouds shrouding you from the sun and blue sky,

in cumulus like giant mushroom on the horizon, rising,

and released into nimbus, becoming heavy, falling as rain

in the accompaniment of wind, thunder and lightning.

I see rivers swell and lakes fill to the brim in monsoon,

flooding fields and pasture, spilling through the valley,

meandering, roaring over waterfalls and boulders,

resting in swamps and estuaries, then flowing to sea.  

  

I see farmers in the field, women and children, too,

and work animals pulling the plow and the harrow;

I hear singing and laughter and joyous conversation,

barking of dogs, cackling  of fowls trailing the furrow.

I see harvesters gather the golden grains by hand;

drying shocks in the sun, and building  haystacks;

I see flocks of pigeon and native chicken gleaning,

women and children, the sun setting on their backs.  

I see the fields scorched, a smoke here and there - 

bush fire! when the grass dries up bursts into flame

spreading all over, burning anything on its path - 

what a waste! but it is nature's work and game. 

I see poor harvest, good harvest, where and why,

crops early or late, and fields never planted at all;

I see farming a way of life, farming as a business,

and farm life in all seasons, happiness is its goal.

I see children flying kites of various makes and colors,

beside them grownups cheering, coaching, flying

their own kites too, oh, they have not forgotten

the art of their childhood, so do I, reminiscing.

I see children playing patintero, trompo and sipa,

games of old folks when they too, were children;

games of beetles and spiders as gladiators;

palo de sebo and pabitin cannot be forgotten.   

I see tourists, I see balikbayan, I see old and young;

familiar and unfamiliar faces, sweet, shy, and bold;

I see children going to school, housewives to market,

people of all walks of life, always on the move. 

 

I see the hills and mountains, to me they're the same,

but where have the forests gone, the pasture?

I see the rivers, the lakes and ponds old as they are,

I have always loved all of these as I love nature.  

I have seen enough, let me return, Mother Earth,

to my home, sweet home, on the farm, to my family;

and tell them of what I've seen in my short sojourn; 

down below I saw my friends, my neighbors, and me. ~  

* Publiished Greater Lagro Gazette April-June 2016 Issue.  Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) Dr Abe Rotor and Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday [www.pbs.gov.ph]

2. Come, let me give your eyes rest.

"Look deep into this image painted by one whose eyes have long sought for peace and rest through some connection with Nature." - avr

 Dr Abe V Rotor

Come, let me give your eyes rest, in acrylic (33.5" x 24") by AV Rotor 2025

Painting on display at the Living with Nature Center, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Are your eyes tired of too much exposure on the computer, day and night, hour after hour, rushing up school assignments, work-at-home deadlines, tracking down news here and abroad, or simply playing games which is actually a straining pastime?    

Are your eyes tired from heavy schedule in office, at the workplace, driving through heavy traffic beating rush hour and the Bundy clock, for hours, going out and back home, at daybreak and after work, and doing errands in between?   

Are your eyes tired of too much drama on stage and screen, audio-visons virtually without end, fiesta or no fiesta, searching for apparition in the sky, braving the camera and floodlights, looking into the lens for the unseen, and now, with AI magical power?

Are your eyes tired of blinding and blinking lights on the highway complex of vehicles, floodlights and billboards, in restaurants and bars, even in the park you think relaxing to spend a weekend with your family, or simply alone for reflection?

Are your eyes tired of reading novels, printed or e-book versions by your favorite authors like Hemingway, for contemporary realism; Pasternak, for refined radicalism; Mark Twain, for boys' adventure; Jules Verne, for early futurism? 

Are your eyes tired of the imagery of Future Shock and Eco-Spasm by Alvin Toffler, of Uncle Tom's Cabin in the age of slavery in the US, of Ann Frank's Diary of a lonely and frightful world in Nazi Germany, of Orwellian Big Brother syndrome in "1984"?  

Are your eyes tired, seeing not only real vision but after-visions accumulated through hours and hours of concentration in school, office, home, and residues of visual experiences surreptitiously stored in your Jungian psyche?   

Look deep into this image painted by one whose eyes have long sought for peace and rest, for connection with Nature in the sky and into the deep, in the microcosm of a leaf, filaments of algae, rootlets, buds, myriads of unseen mysteries of creation. 

And in seeing all these, you may find your way back to the road of beauty, innocence

and joy, to the simplicity and harmony of life and living. ~             

 

 

Details of Are your eyes tired? painting. 
 

Left, author and artist (right) poses with a fellow senior citizen and friend, Gerry Singson. Students from the University of Northern Philippines on a study tour at the Living with Nature Center. The painting, cautions those on the "busy lane" to slow down a bit and reflect on the lighter side of life. 

3.  Wishing Mural of Nature

A travelogue-on-wheels

Painting by Dr Abe V Rotor

Reflection and Meditation 

A travelogue-on-wheels,  St Paul College of Ilocos Sur, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Take me into the scenery, though by imagination, make it virtually true; for I have missed life on the road, life in sports, life in adventure;

Take me to where the sun seeps through the leaves and cast a thousand art of figures and views, in kaleidoscope colors and designs;

Take me to where the leaves fall and make a litter on the forest floor, where new life arises, where the cycle of seasons goes on and on; 

Take me to where the birds sing in the trees, where the fowls roam, the crawlers play hide and seek, where crickets fiddle, cicadas sing;

Take me to where the night breaks into dawn, the sun rises in glorious rays and beams, where dewdrops reflect into a myriad of pearls;

Take me where twilight  heralds the coming of night in silence and peace, the world in deserved rest amidst stars and fireflies; 

Take me to the edge of the land by the sea and lake, to where the river flows in tranquility, the streams and rivulets sing sweetly;    

Take me to where the pond reflects the blue sky, clouds building into rain, and birds flying on their route at the urging of nature; 

Take me into the horizon, beyond the measure of this view, that I may discover more to add into the richness of this masterpiece;

Take me to where my prayers of thanksgiving, my reverence for life are offered in humility, respect and adoration to the Great Maker. ~

 Ilocos Upland  in acrylic on canvas (5ft x 12ft) by A V Rotor, 2017 

4. Children Painting under the Trees)

 Take the young ones close to Mother Nature

Living with Nature Center

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog (avrotor.blogspot.com)

Also open Naturalism -the Eighth Sense

Summer Integrated Children's Workshop at the San Vicente Botanical 

Garden (Living with Nature Center), San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.

Take time out from TV, computer, malling;

     life's so dull, busy yet empty;

The left brain's overworked, the right idle,

     growing up is a sad story.

Take time out in summer away from school,

     put down your books and depart;

give imagination a chance over knowledge

     through creativity in the art.

Take time out to be close to Mother Nature,

     draw and paint under the trees,

recreate the world you wish it should be,

     let your worries go with the breeze.

Take time out to be your real self, discover

     beyond the world of reality,

with myriad colors and the paintbrush,

     the boundless realm of fantasy. ~

5. Nature, Painting and Peace

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

Rock well in acrylic by AVR

A world in a world their own
deep in the deep unknown;
domain of the bold and mean,
lovely, yet lonely, unseen.

Pinsal Fall, Sta. Maria. Ilocos Sur  

Rage, rage and fall free

as you seek liberty;

surrender to gravity,  

flow, flow out to sea

Light in the Forest, acrylic AVR

Be benevolent, lose your crown, 

let the sun in, 

 nourish those in your shade.

'til they turn green. ~

"Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is the painting that is felt rather than seen." - Leonardo da Vinci