Ephraim Samson's musings in watercolor

Painting is like meeting the muse on a blind date. Each encounter is unique, special and distinct depending on the artist trying to transform the hurrying lights of vision into fields of green, chrome and ochre. And the medium to be used plays not a small role in this ritual. Oil is like a sophisticated bitch who’s hard to please. She demands one’s time and patience. Mixed media is like a woman with a split personality. She’s sensitive Oprah in one moment and the Wicked Witch of the West in the next. Acrylic has a pleasing personality. She’s very easy to be with and is not at all needy. Pastel is playful. She’s an optimist and a lover of trivia. Gouache is opaque and impenetrable. She’s wild and mysterious. Watercolor is serene, transparent, elusive and challenging. It takes a lot of skill and restraint to get along with her.

Visual artist Ephraim Samson agrees. "Watercolor is a very challenging medium," he says. "First, it limits the size of the painting. Then, everything you do is final. In oil, you can paint over and over. In fact, the more texture you put, the better. In watercolor, once you make mistakes, you can’t paint over them. You’ll just have to get a new piece of paper and start over. "

(Thus, dates with watercolor muses are arguably more difficult. I read somewhere that in the hands of the novice, watercolor yields unpredictable results. Time and talent, however, produce wondrous effects.)

But even if the artist finds oil and pastel relatively easier, it is through watercolor paintings that he has earned glory for himself and for the country. Last year, Samson took Best of Show honors at the 42nd Lodi Art Show (sponsored by the Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Winery) and repeated the feat at the 51st annual Stockton Art League Exhibition, both in Northern California. Samson’s "Pacific Seafood" bested other entries at the Lodi Art Center Awards, and his "Where Life Begins" was awarded the plum prize, the Elsie May Goodwin Award for Excellence. Both paintings were done in watercolor.

Ephraim Samson’s beginnings are so humble they take on shadings of a soap opera. He developed an interest for drawing as a newspaper delivery boy, a job he took on to support his widowed mother and his siblings. The funny papers intrigued him.

"When I was in high school I got hooked on comics," says Ephraim. "Every week I would look for comic strips from a particular illustrator and try to copy them during my free time. Since then, drawing has become a favorite pastime."

He worked for a while as comic strip illustrator, citing Nestor Redondo, Tony Carabana and Alfredo Alcala as his mentors. "They were the ones who gave me a break by letting me work for their own publications. The problem with working for comics though is that you are limited to black and white, and I already wanted to work with colors at that time," he says.

"During my breaks, I watched those figurista artists in Ongpin who drew large faces of actors and actresses so easily. For me, it’s all practice, you learn from every piece you draw," he adds.

(Sari Ortiga of Crucible Gallery recalls a favorite Ephraim Samson quote about keeping one’s drawing chops sharp: "Ang drawing kapag iniwan mo kahit sandali, iiwan ka rin nito. You should never stop working on your art.")

Samson, who studied fine arts at the University of Santo Tomas, also worked as a "cinema cartel artist," creating movie posters and billboards. In 1970, the muse beckoned and Ephraim says "That’s when I started drawing seriously." In the period between 1976 and 2000, Samson was featured in 17 one-man-shows, participated in another 113 group exhibits, and won 11 awards. Now, that’s serious work for someone who started out illustrating the funnies.

The artists says he tries to explore every theme, doing portraits, landscapes, still lifes, seascapes and human interest since "I don’t want to limit myself to just one subject," he says.

Restless as ever, the artist and his wife came to the States two years ago. Life wasn’t at all like a bed of watercolor roses, so to speak. He made his living doing $10 instant sketches of Japanese tourists, commissioned portraits of company executives, as well as murals for hotels and hospitals.

"At first my confidence level was very low," he shares. "I was reluctant to show my works because there were a lot of talented artists in the States with international stature already. Fortunately, I was able to get good exposure and then I started gaining back my self-confidence. It’s also a good experience to work abroad because you get to know and prove to yourself what kind and level of artist you really are."

The turning point for Ephraim was when an American painter offered a valuable piece of advice.

"At first I was trying to paint typical American scenery for my entries. But then a friend from the art league told me to stick to the subjects I love doing. He told me not to make imitations and just concentrate on values, color clarity, and simple designs," Samson says, adding that he had this epiphany: "Basta may originality ka at sariling style, madali kang mapansin." That, for the artist, is key.

This philosophy has resulted in the two winning pieces rendered in watercolor, which has earned the artist respect and admiration of the California art community. "When Life Begins" shows a couple of eggs wombed by nests of golden straw – dense patches juxtaposed brilliantly with light watery touches. And as in most of Samson’s works, the realism is startling. The same with "Pacific Seafood," a composition of squid, shrimp, maya-maya and dangit laid out on banana leaves with contrasting shades of green. The fish practically scream to be fried.

"Winning those two art contests has given me a strong confidence about my work," he enthuses. "I have been to some art centers like New York, Virginia, Chicago, Phoenix, Seattle, Illinois, Nevada, San Diego, San Francisco, LA, Sacramento and even Canada. I noticed that you must have originality in your style for your work to really stand out. Most of the professional artists I met there are generous and friendly."

Ortiga says he’s happy about Ephraim Samson’s success and is optimistic that when the artist returns to the Philippines, he will have a new perspective on his art. He might perhaps bring a fresh and astounding dimension to his tryst with watercolor. And maybe even fall in love with the fussy and elusive muse all over again.