Viewing the interplay of pleased hues in DLSU-Higher education of St. Benilde alumna Therese Mercado’s artworks, a single wouldn’t straightaway imagine she was identified with despair and experienced gone via a dim interval in her everyday living.
Therese’s melancholy started off when her father died 10 yrs ago, when she was 15 a long time old. And just before she could even thoroughly recover from that distressing practical experience, her mother—who was debilitated by a severe mind harm when Therese was nonetheless an infant—died the following 12 months.
Therese’s condition has considering the fact that been manageable, the artist herself suggests when we meet up with her in Casa San Pablo, the charming Laguna bed and breakfast. On the other hand, she had a 3rd relapse last 12 months and assumed burnout from work could have induced it. “There was uncontrollable crying,” she confesses, recalling her worst times. “There would be periods when I would just crumble, let’s say just to open up my computer system. I would get anxious that I couldn’t go. I felt really large.”

Aware she had to consider treatment of her mental health and fitness, she determined to stop her occupation in an art functions firm and seek expert assist. Through individuals tricky occasions, a single of the points that eased her woes was painting. Although she identified an fascination in the arts in her younger decades, it was only in the course of the pandemic, specifically when she got Covid all through the latter component of 2020, when she determined to pick up the paintbrush once again.
“I would paint a large amount in my room and give the artworks to my good friends as presents. I would choose pics of the artworks and inquire them to decide on one or two,” she suggests, revealing a smile.
In the beginning, Therese did splatter and drip paintings. Someway, she started off portray bouquets and has been portray blooms til today. Also not deliberate, she claims, is her use of lively colours. “[My art] is truly a blend of my favorite hues. I use a whole lot of shiny oranges, a minor bit of blue, a very little little bit of inexperienced. But orange I would say is my delighted color.”

It is mentioned a person’s depression is typically depicted thru the use of muted tones—grays and blacks, for occasion, with chaos as a typical theme. This is clearly not the circumstance with Therese. “You know for a frustrated person, you paint genuinely vibrant stuff na sobrang reverse,’” she recollects her counselor Bicbic Medez indicating.
Medez suggested her to carry on to paint if she thinks it’s supporting her take care of her depression. “What I like about portray is that I you should not think. It’s my way of comforting talaga,” she claims. She would consider to paint just about every 7 days or each other week. When she’s in the mood, she could paint the complete working day or even two to a few times straight.

“I basically paint two or four will work at the exact time,” she claims. This explains why in a span of eight months, she experienced gathered quite a prosperity of painted canvases.
“It’s pleasant mainly because one particular of my buddies who has gathered some of my art advised me that my operates make her happy. So I uncover that touching since it relates to my Instagram title which is @ipaintwithhappycolors,” Therese states. “I like how factors are going total circle. That was not my intention [when I first started to paint] but if it provides happiness to other individuals, then I’m happy to display [my art] to them.”
Therese, whose eyes sparkle when she talks about her perform, tells us she’s “in a far better spot now,” and is “taking it a single day at a time.” Treatment, painting, and her two Labradors helped her all over this journey.

By way of the encouragement of her good friends and the assistance of the pair Boots and An Alcantara, her uncle and aunt, homeowners of Casa San Pablo, which also happens to be a inventive wellbeing place, Therese was equipped to mount an show last weekend.
The occasion also marks the launch of the B&B’s Resourceful Wellness Hub, a collection of art and crafting pursuits that could assistance their friends rest, enhance their mental well being, elevate their mood, develop a favourable self-picture, and ease tension.
Drawing and painting lessons are supplied at the Casa every afternoon, besides Mondays and Wednesdays. Its resident crafters present two-hour workshops on jewelry-building, resin crafts, candle-earning and other imaginative functions every weekend. People interested may possibly indication up for just just one session or for quite a few classes distribute around quite a few weeks. Prior scheduling is essential.

Rofel Brion, Countrywide E-book Awardee (for the poetry ebook “Baka Sakali”) and writer of a new book of personalized essays entitled “Saglit: Alaala’t Muni,” will carry out a “Writing to No cost Your Heart” workshop on April 1. He will return to Casa San Pablo for a poetry creating picnic on June 18, and another two-day producing retreat for writers with Superior Housekeeping and Doing work Mother magazine founding editor An Mercado Alcantara on August 25-26.
Children’s e book illustrator and artwork instructor Jose Badelles will hold an “Intuitive Pencil Drawing” artwork camp on July 22-23.
On September 21 to 23, former Foodstuff Journal editor in chief Nana Ozaeta (she was also our food stuff editor back again in the day) will keep a two-working day workshop on the “Joy of Foodstuff Writing,” for food writers who would like to go past cafe assessments and delve deeper into our culinary heritage.
To sign-up for any of the workshops or for scheduling inquiries, email [email protected].
Shots courtesy of Therese Mercado
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