May Pera Sa Arts! How This Dad's Wall Art Helped Support His Family

February is National Arts Month in the Philippines. What better way to celebrate it than to share a story of an artist who has been using his talent to support his family.

Meet Henry Miranda Santos, a dad of four and the artist behind the crowd-favorite murals on the Facebook group Home Buddies. Thanks to his daughter, Charlotte Angelique Santos-Cultivo, his works are now being appreciated by more people.

Charlotte expresses how proud she is of his father's brilliance in the said Facebook group. Who wouldn't be? A glance at Henry's finished works will most likely leave spectators amused.

Flexing her dad's work, she says in a post, "Iyayabang ko nga pala mural painting ng papa ko. Sa sobrang detailed, mapagkakamalan mong wallpaper."

From tropical life intricate patterns to awe-inspiring sceneries, to say that Henry's murals are jaw-dropping would be an understatement. He never sacrifices attention to detail, given that he's working on a broad canvas. And because of this, he successfully transforms a plain wall into enchanting pieces of art.

The 49-year-old dad's works are not limited to interior walls. He has also worked on painting the whole facade of a structure.

Henry defies the saying 'walang pera sa art'

His talent creating works of art has been Herny's bread and butter for almost 25 years now. "Simula ipinanganak ako aware na po ako na talent nya ang bumubuhay samin," Charlotte shared in an interview with Smart Parenting.

She adds, "Nakikita ko po kasi nun gumagawa siya ng streamers kung familiar kayo, para siyang canvas. Sobrang laking tulong talaga ng talent ni Papa sa araw-araw na buhay namin!"

In another interview with The Philippine STAR, Charlotte says she and another brother was able to finish their studies because of their dad's perseverance while their two other siblings are currently still in school.

"Apat po kami [magkakapatid]. Ako po at ‘yung brother ko napagtapos niya po kami. Grade 11 and first year college ‘yung dalawa [ko pong kapatid]," she tells the local daily.

But as much as Henry supports his kids, he also receives support from them. It was Charlotte's idea to set up a Facebook page for his dad's mural services. Aside from this, his family also manages a T-shirt printing business.

According to Charlotte, his dad earns Php10,000 for murals with basic designs and can be done within three to five hours. Some projects cost higher, which takes two to three days to finish. Henry finishes all of his murals by himself and only gets assistants when buying the materials and cleaning the work area.

"Minsan nagugulat sila (clients) kay Papa kasi pag nag-i-inquire sila sa ibang artist usually kayang tapusin ng 2 to 3 days while ung kay Papa, kaya mas na-amaze sila, natapos lang within the day." 

Recently, Charlotte shared with this writer that his dad was commissioned to do a mural for Php200,000. She says her dad Henry allotted 15 working days for this project.
"Nagdaan din ako diyan sa 'walang pera sa arts.' Pero yan ay kung di mo pagtiya-tiyagaan...dapat may tiwala ka sa gawa mo."

Inspiring with his works

Aside from the financial aspect, Charlotte says his dad's talent has inspired her to dabble in the arts as well. "Sobrang hilig ko din sa arts lalo na when it comes with designing, doing portraits. Dati, I used to do self-portraits. Naalala ko nun binabayaran ako ng friends ko para gawan sila ng portraits nila."

Like her dad, Charlotte also makes a living as an artist. She tells Smart Parenting, "Kung si Papa wall mural artist, ako naman makeup artist. Siguro sa kaniya ko din nakuha yung galing sa pagbe-blend ng colors pero sa mukha naman."

Forwarding our question through Charlotte, Henry says he also got his interest in the arts from his father.

"'Yung tatay ko po mahilig din sa arts kaya siguro nakuha ko din yung pagiging mahilig sa art. Sa painting, yes, self-taught [ako]. Hilig ko na din talaga [ang arts]. Ginagawa ko na siya since elementary ako hanggang ang kinuha kong kurso nung college ay drafting," he shared.

What can Henry say to those who tend to think that there's no money in doing arts? "Hindi ko naman sila masisisi, nagdaan din ako diyan sa 'walang pera sa arts.'" But Henry emphasized,  "Pero yan ay kung di mo pagtiya-tiyagaan at depende pa din sa tao yan kung gagawin nilang income nila. Pero dapat may tiwala ka sa gawa mo at samahan mo na din ng dasal."

Lastly, Henry encourages other parents to support their children who are showing interest in doing arts.

You can visit Henry's Facebook page Wall Mural Painting Services, to see more of his works.

Do you know a mom or dad whose story can be an inspiration to other parents? Share it in the comment section below, or email us at smartparenting@summitmedia.com.ph

Click here to read a mom's story on how arts helped her overcome postpartum depression.