It is hard not to be inspired by flowers. They are among the most beautiful masterpieces created by nature. With their vibrant colors and spellbinding scents, they can make any occasion special no matter how joyful or sad they may be. They are among the ultimate symbols of love, femininity, and growth. Through the years, artists and designers have looked at them for inspiration for their work. For Style Weekend’s May 4, 2024 issue, we are featuring Filipino creatives from different fields—Tin Bejar, Soleil Ignacio, and Adrienne Charuel—who have immortalized the charms of blooms and other botanicals through their works, whether they are on paper, textile, or a digital canvas.
They said that a flower blooms in its own time. This is true for Tin Bejar, an Information Technology (IT) professional who’s now carving her name in the art industry as a botanical watercolor artist.
“I started watercolor painting in 2016. I think I was already working three years in the IT industry and then realized that I don’t want my life to revolve just around corporate work,” Tin tells Style Weekend while working on an unfinished piece.
The team visited Tin’s house, which also serves as her studio. Her sala/studio is filled with dried flowers and stacks of watercolor paint, with a hanging macrame art as a centerpiece. This place is like the live image of a laid-back room inspired by Pinterest.
“I was looking for something that I could work with, that I could be passionate about, something to do outside my work,” she continues. "That time, I decided to go back to visual arts. I had been inclined to it ever since I was a kid. It just stopped when I decided to pursue a career in IT.”
With her natural knack for drawing, Tin started sharing her hobby and work on social media, specifically on Instagram. Little did she know, she’s already building a community of botanical watercolor enthusiasts. In 2017, what started as a hobby became an avenue for her to share her talents and passion. She then began to offer workshops, teaching the basics of watercolor painting.
“I chose flowers as subjects because of their varieties. It allowed me to express myself more in painting and explore multiple floral elements, textures, colors, and shapes,” she shares. "I feel like Bytinb (her Instagram page) is my alter ego. Personality-wise, I’m not really the girly type. So, in painting flowers, it kind of expresses my femininity and shows people a different side of Tin Bejar.”
Some of the flowers she loves painting are hibiscus and birds of paradise. Through expressing herself and sharing her art, Tin also captured the attention of the international market. She’s an ambassador for professional artist brush Princeton. For a Filipino artist, this is a feat, for this brush brand is one of the largest brush suppliers in the world.
“I feel that art should be shared,” she says. “On my journey as Tin B, I developed my love for teaching. It’s actually fulfilling to know that I was able to give something to the people around me, to contribute to the community that I’m in. And it’s refreshing for me to know that I get to teach people a hobby that can remind them to just pause, get time for themselves, slow down, and to create something for yourself, not for anyone, not even for Instagram.”
Apart from teaching botanical watercolor, the Princeton brush ambassador also creates functional art pieces through resin art featuring flowers. Some of the products she’s making are brush rests, water jars, and paint palettes.
“In resin art, I made functional pieces that will benefit people who are into painting. I do this to inspire more people to create,” Tin says. “I want to explore working with more flowers endemic to the Philippines.”
She’s also selling her finished products through social media. When asked about some beginner tips, Tin said to invest in proper tools and just keep on creating.
“Before buying materials, do your research. What type of materials would you use? What color? By doing that, you won’t waste your money on buying things you won’t be able to use,” she says. "Just keep on practicing. You may feel frustrated that you don't have a style yet, but as you practice, you tend to develop it on your own.”
Moving forward, Tin will hold a free watercolor workshop with more international art brands, and everyone is encouraged to join. For more information about her free class, visit @bytinb on Instagram.
Photography by Bon Jasper Taligatos
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