CASCADE - Creative Arts Shaping Children and Adults Deserving Excellence. Our goal is to share arts and democratize art education by providing free or affordable resources in this field.
New eBook Offers a Gentle Introduction to Art Appreciation for Beginners
Art appreciation is often viewed as an academic subject reserved for experts, critics, or seasoned museum-goers. However, a recently published eBook seeks to alter that perspective by showcasing art appreciation as something approachable, relatable, and enjoyable.
The author recently released her first eBook on art appreciation, inviting readers to explore art in a quieter and more reflective way. Rather than focusing on technical analysis or memorizing historical facts, the book encourages individuals to slow down, observe carefully, appreciate, and allow meaning to emerge through personal experience.
Designed for aspiring artists, curious beginners, and anyone seeking to reconnect with creativity, the eBook offers a beginner-friendly approach that removes the pressure of finding “right” or “wrong” interpretations.
The author notes that the book may be especially helpful for readers who have felt overwhelmed in museums, unsure of how to engage with artworks, aspiring art collectors, or simply eager to develop a deeper way of seeing.
A sample preview of the eBook is now available for public viewing:
Ultimately, the eBook acts as an invitation to engage with art not through expertise but through awareness—reminding readers that appreciating art isn't just about knowing more but also about noticing more.
Ang Nuno Art Gallery, Balaw-Balaw Restaurant Angono, Rizal
Growth rarely happens in isolation. It takes time, shared spaces, quiet persistence, and moments of convergence. This March, Singdeo Art Group (SAG) brings together a diverse collective of artists in “PAG-USBONG”, a group art exhibition that explores the many forms of growth, emergence, and becoming.
“Pag-usbong,” a Filipino term that translates to growth or emergence, reflects both personal and collective journeys. The exhibition invites viewers to see how ideas take hold, how forms develop, and how identities reveal themselves through diverse artistic expressions. From subtle shifts to bold statements, each piece adds to a larger story of creative growth.
About the Group
Singdeo Art Group (SAG) was formed through the shared initiative of artists from Bulacan, together with their friends and fellow artists from different places. Bound not by a single style or medium, the group is rooted in camaraderie, mutual support, and a deep respect for individual artistic voices. The exhibition reflects this spirit—diverse yet connected, independent yet communal.
The Exhibition
“PAG-USBONG” presents works that interpret growth in its many dimensions—personal, cultural, emotional, and spiritual. Visitors will encounter a wide range of media, styles, and perspectives, each offering a unique reflection on what it means to begin, to change, and to move forward.
Set within Ang Nuno Art Gallery at Balaw-Balaw Restaurant in Angono, Rizal—long recognized as a hub of Filipino art and heritage—the exhibition finds a fitting home. The space itself echoes the themes of continuity and tradition, providing a nurturing environment for contemporary artistic voices.
Participating Artists
Allan Brando Gonzales Anna Custodio Anwylen Fua-Gaño Arnold Estrella Beatriz Robles Chris Lucas Colleen Audrey Mendoza Crisanto Antonio Em-Em Malaluan Santos Eunice Logro Gabz Mendiola Jr. Gerry Marasigan Gretchen Villamor Jaime Subion Jr. Johanna Jacob Lan Esquillo Lee Concepcion Lucila Gragera Lot Demition Marie Claire Marvin Gonzalez Markos Antonio Manuel Minda M. Sta. Maria Neil Valenzuela Paul Tindugan Ramon Sediego Rei Rob Ron Mclin Rommel Cahucom Rose Gob Rowena Jasmin-Macahiya Sandy Vargas Vangie Lim Vic Gamido Jr.
Exhibit Details
📅March 1–31, 2026 📍Ang Nuno Art Gallery Balaw-Balaw Restaurant 11 Doña Justa Subdivision, Brgy. San Roque Angono, Rizal
“PAG-USBONG” is an invitation to pause, to reflect, and to witness the quiet and powerful ways art grows from shared ground. Whether you are an artist, a collector, or a curious viewer, the exhibition offers a space to engage with stories of emergence that continue to unfold.
Instead, I learned to work within the time I actually have.
This sketching session is one of those moments.
Why I Chose to Sketch Inanimate Objects
For this tutorial, I focused on sketching inanimate objects—simple, everyday items that are easily accessible and familiar. I used an old jar and positioned it in a way I want to transfer on paper.
Drawing inanimate objects removes pressure.
They do not move. They do not require emotional interpretation or likeness. They allow us to focus on form, light, shadow, and value—the foundations of drawing.
This makes them ideal subjects for short practice sessions, especially when you don't have enough free time.
Understanding Value Through Shading
The heart of this sketching exercise is value—how light and shadow define form.
In the video, I apply different shading techniques such as:
Cross-hatching
Checking
Light and layered strokes
These techniques help us explore how dark and light areas work together to create depth and dimension. More importantly, they train our eyes to observe carefully and our hands to respond patiently.
This kind of practice doesn't require speed, although I have increased the speed by 8X. It requires attention.
What This Sketching Practice Is Really About
This tutorial is not about finishing a perfect drawing. You will notice that the drawing is not perfect. Still, its charm is its imperfection.
It is about training the eye, steadying the hand, and building familiarity with value.
When you practice shading—whether through cross-hatching, checking, or simple tonal buildup—you begin to understand how objects exist in space. You learn to see subtle transitions instead of outlines alone.
And when done regularly, even in short windows, this practice strengthens your drawing foundation.
Sketching as a Grounding Practice
For busy professionals, sketching inanimate objects can be deeply grounding.
It requires:
Stillness
Observation
Patience
As you shade, your breathing slows. Your focus narrows. The noise of the day softens.
This is one of the reasons I return to sketching again and again—not just to improve my skill, but to reset.
You Don’t Need to Get It Right
In the video, you will notice pauses, adjustments, and uneven strokes.
That is intentional.
Sketching is a practice, not a performance. Value studies are meant to be explored, layered, corrected, and revisited. Every line teaches the hand something new.
If you are waiting to feel “ready” before practicing shading techniques, you may never begin. Improvement comes through repetition, not before it.
How to Use This Tutorial
You may:
Pause the video and follow along
Repeat the exercise using different objects
Practice for 10, 15, or 30 minutes only
Choose one object. Observe the light. Apply value patiently.
That is enough for the day.
A Gentle Invitation
If you are busy, tired, or creatively disconnected, I invite you to try this:
Choose a simple inanimate object.
Pick up your pencil.
Explore light and shadow without pressure.
Let this tutorial guide you—but let your hand move freely.
Art does not always need intensity.
Sometimes, it only needs presence and consistency.
You are free to share your completed work. Email it to me using the comment form, and I will see if I can add it to this page.
Is AI Replacing Animators? Why Human Creativity Still Leads
I recently heard from a friend who is an animation artist that he wants to learn how to paint.
That conversation stayed with me.
I have been painting since 2012, and for a long time, I honestly thought that traditional painting—working with canvas, brushes, and physical materials—would eventually become obsolete. Many artists I know shifted toward digital work and animation, where opportunities seemed more stable and in demand.
At one point, I even thought: maybe painters like me would be left behind.
But with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in creative production, something unexpected is happening. It now seems that digital artists and animators are the ones feeling most threatened by AI, while traditional, human-centered art is regaining its value.
AI in Video and Animation: Amazing, But Not Exact
Recently, I experimented with AI by turning one of my paintings into an animation. Watching my artwork come to life was undeniably amazing. The movement, the atmosphere—it felt almost magical.
But when I prompted the AI to make the water move, something interesting happened.
Instead of animating my painting, the AI generated new images. It followed my instruction, yes—but not to a “T.” The result was visually impressive, yet it no longer fully reflected my original intent, emotion, or composition.
That experience clarified something important for me:
AI follows instructions, but it does not fully understand intention.
AI interprets patterns. Artists interpret meaning.
Artificial intelligence is powerful. There is no denying that. It can speed up processes, generate variations, and assist in experimentation. Used properly, it can be a valuable creative tool.
But creativity itself—true creativity—does not come from efficiency alone.
Human artists bring:
Lived experience
Emotional memory
Cultural context
Intuition and judgment
Intentional imperfection
These are not things AI possesses. AI does not struggle, doubt, grieve, hope, or reflect. It does not wake up with questions or wrestle with meaning. It does not grow through failure.
Artists do.
The Difference Between Generating and Creating
AI can generate images, animations, and videos. But generation is not the same as creation.
Creation involves choice—why this color, why this movement, why this pause. It involves restraint as much as expression. It involves knowing when not to add more.
As artists, our work is shaped by who we are, where we’ve been, and what we believe. That uniqueness cannot be replicated by algorithms trained on existing data.
AI can remix the past.
Artists imagine what does not yet exist.
Why Traditional Art and Human Skill Still Matter
Perhaps this is why my animator friend now wants to learn how to paint.
Traditional art trains something deeper than technique. It develops:
Observation
Patience
Emotional awareness
Presence
When you paint, your body is involved—your breath, your hand pressure, your rhythm. These subtle human elements give art its soul.
Ironically, as AI becomes more dominant in digital creation, human-made art becomes more valuable, not less. The authenticity, originality, and emotional honesty of human work stand out even more in a world of generated content.
A Balanced Future: Artists With Tools, Not Artists Replaced
I do not believe the future is about rejecting AI.
I believe the future belongs to artists who use AI consciously, without surrendering authorship, intention, or voice.
AI should assist—not decide.
Support—not replace.
Enhance—not erase.
When we allow machines to lead creativity, we lose something deeply human. But when artists lead—and use AI as one of many tools—we gain new possibilities without losing meaning.
Seeing my painting animated by AI was exciting. But it also reminded me of something essential:
The heart of art does not move because of code. It moves because of people.
As long as artists continue to think, feel, question, and imagine, creativity will remain human at its core.
Art and Emotional Literacy: Learning to Name What We Feel Through Painting
When Words Are Not Enough
Working as an HR consultant, I address issues and concerns objectively. I am expected to think rationally, remain calm during crises, and provide strategic recommendations that help organizations and people move forward. This is not easy.
We are human beings first before we are professionals. We absorb the energy of the people we work with. We feel pressure, tension, and emotional weight—even when we try our best to remain composed and positive.
There are moments when emotions feel confusing, heavy, or unnamed. When there is no safe space to talk, these emotions bottle up inside. What I cannot say in words, I often express through art.
This is why my canvas sometimes speaks for me.
When I paint to relieve stress, that emotional state often manifests in my work. Some pieces carry turbulence, angst, or intense energy expressed through color and movement. Others are softer, calmer, and reflective. Over time, I realized that my art had become a way of speaking—without words.
In this article, I would like to reflect on how emotions can be translated into art, and how understanding our emotions helps us express them in constructive rather than self-destructive ways.
Art as Emotional Language
Art is a powerful emotional language.
Colors, lines, shapes, and movement communicate feelings that words often fail to capture. Art allows emotions to surface without explanation. There are no “right” or “wrong” emotions on a canvas—only honest ones.
For many people, art feels safer than talking. It allows feelings to be externalized and made visible. What is internal and overwhelming becomes something we can see, sit with, and understand at our own pace.
I notice this clearly in my own work. Viewers often sense my emotional state immediately. When I use deep blues mixed with reds or muted oranges, it usually reflects a period of heaviness or inner struggle. When I paint with golden sunset hues, it often means I was content, grounded, and at peace during the moment of creation.
Art tells the truth—even when we don’t consciously intend it to.
Naming Emotions Through the Process of Painting
Painting has a way of slowing time.
When I sit in front of my easel and canvas, I forget my worries and even what awaits me at work. My breathing slows. My thoughts soften. There is a lightness that comes from being fully present.
The process is not always easy. There are moments when I struggle—when I don’t know what will come out next, or when I simply stare at the canvas waiting for clarity. Often, I begin by placing colors without a clear plan. Slowly, a form or concept emerges.
There are also moments of awe—when I simply let the brush move. Sometimes I have no idea where to start, but I let the colors glide. And suddenly, an image appears.
Inspiration turns painting into a flow. And after the piece is done, I often understand my emotions more clearly—not because I analyzed them, but because I allowed them to surface.
Art becomes a bridge between feeling and understanding.
Can you tell me how I feel about each painting I produced above?
Practical Tools for Emotional Expression Through Art
For those who want to explore emotional expression through drawing, I am sharing curated materials that are freely available online.
Below is an instructional video by Proko, a respected art education channel, demonstrating how to draw heads and explore proportion and value. This foundational exercise strengthens observation skills and helps connect form, shadow, and emotional tone.
Curated instructional video courtesy of Proko. Full credit goes to the creator for making high-quality educational content freely accessible.
To support your practice, I am also offering a free downloadable worksheet that you can use alongside the video:
How to Draw Heads & Explore Values — Practice Sheet This includes:
Basic head proportion guides
Value scale exercises
Gentle reflection prompts connecting drawing to emotional awareness
Free Download:
Drawing Heads & Exploring Value for Emotional Expression
These materials are meant to support practice, not perfection.
Why Children Benefit from Art Beyond Skills
When I teach children aged seven (7) to thirteen (13), I notice something consistent: they draw what they feel like drawing.
Even when references are provided, children often follow their inner direction instead. They create with less pressure, less self-judgment, and more honesty. This freedom helps them develop perception, interpretation, and emotional awareness.
Art is not just about developing motor skills. It helps children build emotional vocabulary over time.
In psychology, projective techniques such as the Draw-A-Person test or the House-Tree-Person exercise reveal how children perceive relationships, safety, and belonging. What children cannot articulate in words, they often express clearly through images.
Art becomes a safe space where emotions are allowed to exist.
Emotional Awareness Through Art Therapy (Personal Practice)
My reflections are inspired by art therapy principles, though they are not clinical practice.
Art therapy, in its essence, encourages creating without judgment, without analysis during the process, and with gentle reflection afterward. It respects emotions as they are.
We cannot judge an artwork as good or bad. Each piece reflects how the artist sees life at that moment. Art shows humanity—and that humanity deserves respect.
Through art, I have become more emotionally aware, not because I tried to label every feeling, but because I allowed myself to feel them safely.
Process Over Interpretation
Not every artwork needs an explanation.
Sometimes, emotions need space to exist without being named immediately. Trusting the process allows meaning to emerge naturally—if it needs to.
Over-interpretation can rob art of its healing quality. Presence matters more than explanation.
Learning to Listen
Art teaches us how to listen—quietly and patiently.
Emotional literacy is not learned overnight. It is a lifelong practice of noticing, accepting, and expressing what we feel.
With this article, I invite you to stop, look, and listen to every artwork you encounter. Suspend your interpretations for a moment. See the person behind the piece.
This is how we begin to truly appreciate not just art—but the artist.
Creating Art in Small Windows: Art Practice for Busy Professionals
Life is filled with meetings, deadlines, and service. Waiting for “free time” often keeps art postponed.
Finally, I found time to write this blog. To be honest, I didn’t feel like working anymore. I had just arrived from a training event, and lying down on my bed felt more appealing than having dinner. I grabbed a sandwich that was supposed to be my afternoon snack, but since I was still full, I decided to “Sharon” it—hehehe.
While resting, I opened my Google Drive and came across a video I took while practicing how to draw Keanu Reeves, my favorite actor. The original video was almost an hour long, but I sped it up. When I started sketching, I told myself I would only draw for thirty minutes or less—just practice. But once I began, I found myself wanting to improve every line. I may not have perfected it, but I spent time practicing—and that mattered.
That moment made me pause.
My life as an academy manager is constantly filled with meetings, deadlines, and service. Waiting for free time feels almost impossible. By the end of the day, I am exhausted—thankfully enough to sleep well—but I miss the precious time spent recharging through creativity.
The Myth of Free Time
This is where I realized something important.
Busy professionals often delay creativity. We rush to work, aiming to finish tasks efficiently, hoping that later we will finally have time for ourselves. Creativity is set aside because our regular jobs feed us.
Truthfully, if I focus solely on art, I don’t think I can earn what I currently receive from my regular work. And yet, art is what makes me happy.
From an art therapy perspective, creativity is not a reward—it is maintenance. (This is not formal art therapy, but a personal practice inspired by its principles.)
When I create, I unwind and enter a state of flow. My horizon widens, and I feel emotionally and mentally balanced. While creating, I forget problems and life’s pressures. In art, there is no politics, no angst—only self-expression. It elevates my awareness of myself and the world around me.
I often describe creativity as vitamins for the soul. When I am stressed, my breathing becomes shallow and tight. But when I create, the tension in my chest and neck eases, and my mind clears.
That was when I stopped waiting for free time.
Small Windows That Matter
I forced myself—gently—to pick up my pencil and sketchbook for a 15–30 minute art session. That short session counted as practice. And when done regularly, even brief sessions lead to improvement.
Consistency matters—whether one is an amateur or an aspiring master. Just as athletes prepare daily for competition, artists must find time to practice their craft. There is no shortcut if we truly want to grow.
Below is a sped-up sketching video I made during one of these short practice sessions. It is not perfect—but it shows what can happen within a small window of time when we simply begin.
Managing Guilt When Choosing Art
I once heard my father—who is also an artist—say that art cannot pay for living expenses. That may have been true before. Today, art is a serious profession and not merely a hobby.
Still, productivity culture convinces us that work alone defines value—even when we are not fulfilled by it. But when we do what we truly love, work no longer feels heavy; it becomes meaningful.
Art and craft-making are emotionally regulating activities. If we want to be genuinely productive, we must make time for what brings joy and contentment. That is how sustainability in work begins.
This shift in mindset helped me release guilt. Choosing art was no longer indulgence—it became self-care.
Practical Ways to Create in Small Windows
Here is what worked for me.
I developed the habit of watching short reels about drawing, painting, crocheting, or even flower-making during lunch breaks. These small exposures motivate me to pick up my tools after a long day.
I also identified consistent windows in my day for a 15–30 minute uninterrupted art activity. For me, 5:00 a.m. and around 7:30 p.m. work best.
Early mornings are quiet—my laptop stays closed, distractions are minimized, and I can create before the workday begins. In the evening, if I still have energy, creating helps me release it before rest. You may discover a different time that works better for you. What matters is choosing a window with less pressure.
Finally...
I shared a sketching video to show that art doesn't have to be perfect. If we never try, how will we know where we need to improve?
If you are busy, tired, or overwhelmed, I invite you to consider this:
What would happen if you allowed yourself just fifteen minutes of creative space today?
I hope these reflections help you find—and protect—your own small windows for creativity.
Welcome to my blog! I’m Rose Gob—an expert in Knowledge Management, a seasoned HR and OD practitioner, an ARTIST, and an educator. I’ve created three dynamic blogs to share my deep passion for creative arts, cooperatives, and the social enterprise industry, with a primary focus on my art blog, www.cascadeartstudio.com.
Throughout the pandemic, I explored a variety of topics, but now I’m excited to bring you more focused and engaging content. I want to hear from you! Share your thoughts, ask questions, and let me know what topics you're eager to dive into.
Thank you for stopping by. Your insights are invaluable to me. Please be sure to check back often, and have an amazing day!
