Abelardo Maceda Jr.

I like to draw anything since when I was a little child. But being born from a low-income family, nobody encouraged me to pursue this passion. I got married, and 53 years later, I started to paint after a family get-together in the summer of 2017. We were asked to paint a sunflower, and I found it amusing.

Being a self-taught artist, I started learning brush strokes and different techniques by watching YouTube tutorials. My wife, an artist, has inspired me to create art; she is my number 1 fan, mentor, and critic.

I want to be good in everything that I do. As a new artist, I'd like to try all types of painting. Of course, I made many unpleasant paintings at first, but through practice and determination, I have improved my abilities. I want to be an all-around artist. Maybe someday, I will find my own identity as an artist.

At my age, it's hard to think of an inspiration. I will wake up early in the morning before the sun comes up, when my brain is still fresh, and the silence helps me think of something to draw. Sometimes, I will paint the canvas with five different colors without really thinking and step back about 10 feet and stare at what I did, and let the colors reveal to me a picture or figure.

In my first two years in painting, my only client was my brother-in-law, who commissioned me for Christmas gifts to his co-workers; I was thankful for his support. At first, I was hesitant to open a social media account to showcase my paintings. But my sister-in-law, who believed in me, pushed me to, and helped sell some of my paintings. Also, without the support of my wife, who has always been there to guide and mentor me, I could not have overcome these challenges.