Child Artist In Focus: "MURIEL" (also known as "SUGAR PIE")

Her sculptures are sooo small, you'd wonder how she does them! She uses different kinds of cutters with very fine blades.

Muriel, a.k.a. "Sugar Pie" to her extended family, sells her sculptures at school and keeps the money she earns for safekeeping. A real enterpreneaur at heart, she knows on how to make money and works hard for it!

Sugar Pie is just 11-years old and goes to Montessori School in the Philippines. Her elder brother Paco like her, is an accomplished child artist who also works in clay, acrylic and pencil. Both kids were featured in Philippine television three years ago regarding their artistic and creative abilities in visual arts. Born from parents who are both professional artists, the two kids during their toddler years have already displayed and manifested  the characteristics of passionate artists: driven, focused, prolific, and excellent at drawing their subjects from memory.

Many people could draw and or copy from photographs (to illustrate or paint a subject or two). Others may use models within the sanctuary of their milieu but for young kids to be able draw, paint or sculpt from memory? Wow, now that is quite impressive! And this tells me~ "hey, these kids are naturally gifted and quite creative, as a matter of fact!"

I, as an adult, could hardly "draw from memory" and visualize its composition and perspective (hm....would it be in bird's eye view? worm's eye view? man's eye view?) but these kids can!!!  Sugar Pie draws, paints and sculpts with ease, and Paco as well!!! What is worth observing is, like her brother Paco, she remains to be this quite unassuming and humble kid despite  of all her talents. She has maintained a good balance between her academic life and her art.

Muriel, in pensive mood, working on her art. She is great with "miniature sculptures."

Sugar Pie plays classical guitar (she is multi-talented) and takes regular classical guitar lessons on Saturdays at the Philippine Women's University's College of Music along Taft Avenue, Manila. Sugar Pie maintains her excellent mark in school that makes her a brilliant student, indeed as hailed by her teachers. As a teacher, my thought is- "Isn't she wonderful? Wouldn't you love to have one like her in your class?"

What is surprising is her teachers thought her artworks were done by her parents and not by her. Isn't that pathetic to think that way for these teachers to be insanely biased on this kid, my beautiful niece? Eventually, they discovered that she really does it herself and that she is gifted, infact.Well, that's the trouble with some teachers, they have cultural biases and when they encounter students with "multiple-intelligence " like Muriel, they are ambiguous because it is hard for them to believe it. And instead of giving these talented bunch of kids with more developmental skills exercise routine, their norm is to be in doubt. They are almost like a bigot.

NOTE: Muriel has expressed this disappointment  she has with her teachers and shared this to her mom (early on during the academic year 2006-2007). Finally, during her mid-term at school, her teachers realized that she is indeed a "very creative and gifted child." 

The author is in red on the extreme right at the back*

Yes, I know, sometimes teachers think that way. They are one-track-minded. I worked with some of them and I never like nor tolerated their kind of attitude. I was always the spokesman for the underdog. I hate whenever there is in justice! That's it. To be fair is human. 

Well, for one, I taught art in international schools in different countries (under the accreditation of the Europeacn Council of International Schools or ECIS). Hence, I know a talented student when I see one. Over all, they do exhibit this "silent confidence" that is omni-present in them. And when talent is there-  it just speaks for itself. And this kid's talent speaks volume!

FLASHBACK~~~

When Sugar Pie was little, she started out a daily visual diary that features her impressions of her surroundings in 2-D. This amazes me and my family immensely. In her illustrations, she is able to capture her subjects in free-form, in different perspectives and with great details which is quite amazing for a young child her age. To this day, she still carries on that pact, of drawing whatever fancies her at the moment. Here in North Beach I kept the one illustration she did of me when I was taking a nap. It was funny because in it she was able to capture me in different moods while I was sleeping!

Below are some more pieces of Sugar Pie's works in clay in progression.

SO...HOW DO YOU DO YOUR SCUPTURES, MURIEL?

These are the things she had to say:

1. "I still have to place them in an oven then after they dry out, I paint them with acrylic. Once done, I sell them to my classmates in school." (I must say that she is a good enterpreneaur!)

2. "I package them neatly and put on a price tag. Whatever sells best, I make it a point to create them again because I know they'd sell fast!" (Wow, she knows her market! She'd do well in advertising field!!!)

3. "Some of my classmates order with specific details in mind. I do them as they like them to be."  (She really knows the demand of her clients, impressive!!!)

4. "But when they don't have yet the money, I don't give them the sculptures."(Good strategy! She knows the demands and supply ofher market! I adore this child!!!)
Well, that's it folks. As you like it, you may leave your  comments at the bottom of this feature and hit send. Thanks a bunch!

Updates- as of 02/02/2018- Friday, San Francisco Time*

Eleven years ago, I wrote this article on Muriel, a.k.a. Sugar Pie, and presently as Ella. She is an adult now and graduated in college, cumlaude with a multi-media degree from the De La Salle University in Manila (Philippines). Today, she works as an advertising creative director (entry level because she is so good!) in one of the advertising firms in Makati (financial district), Philippines. Below is a screen shot I found online about her works on "Behance." I hope she doesn't kill me for doing so. LOL! Am just proud of her! She is so gifted! Click the image to enlarge*