Artists color Flame Tree Arts Festival revelry

Flame trees blossom on the streets of Saipan this time of year. At the same time dozens of artists from Saipan, Tinian, and Rota line the Civic Center Park in Susupe to celebrate the rich artistic and cultural heritage of the Commonwealth.
One artist, Sylvia Daguitan, sold hats, handbags, and fruit baskets made solely from newspapers. Her creations, called “Syl’s Handicrafts,” range in price from just $2 to $20.

“I first started making these as a hobby since 1990. I decided to come out here and showcase my work when people encouraged me to sell it and show interest,” she told Saipan Tribune.

Daguitan spends several late nights putting together the handicrafts that she said are not only fashionable but “green.”

She and two other friends first made newspaper fans for the Christian Bible Fellowship church they attend and later created a more diverse set of products to sell to fundraise for the church’s projector.

“When I found out that it was sellable and that a lot of people were interested, it motivated me even more to work on different designs and merchandise,” she said. She noted that seeing her work being appreciated by hundreds of people at the festival was inspiring.

Daguitan does not have a shop just yet where she can sell her artwork but said she does plan to open one on Saipan very soon.

Another artist at the event, Tatiana Ilmov, takes the broken ceramic tiles from her husband’s ceramic store on Saipan and puts them back together into unique works of art that she said was her dream for a very long time.

The mosaic artwork from ceramic tiles was the main attraction at her booth during the three-day festival. The mosaic sells for over $100. The couple, who also showed off their work at last year’s festival, added this year some crochet toys and elegant vases, lamps, and plates that Ilmov says was inspired by her mother. She said it takes her up to two weeks to finish the mosaic artwork.

“This festival is a great opportunity to share our work with everyone in the community,” she said. “The atmosphere here is amazing and it is so full of good emotions. We see that people like our work and it gives us the power to continue to create it.”

The festival also featured the work of Ernie David and Greg Bacnis.

Bacnis was at the festival offering his sketching talent. The artist, who started his work at the age of 8, would do sketches of tourists and residents alike within 20 minutes. This was a favorite for spectators at the festival. Bacnis’ work sells for $15 a sketch.

Fellow artists and business partner David showcased his hand-painted skinless leaf paintings. “I soak the leaves in water and a chemical solutions for two to three weeks. When the skin comes off I brush it off with a brush. That is when I begin hand painting them.”

David brought images of Saipan and the ocean to life with the dead and dried leaves. He said his work is not only brought to life by the hues he carefully paints on them, but by the people who view them at the festival.

“Many people come here and are really interested to see what new art we have. It has been my longing to join this festival. It is a good chance to show my artwork and bring color and life to this event,” David said.